Unknown Relations: The Chamber of Secrets
by ksomm814
Summary: Complete. Orion Black is back for another year at Hogwarts but his hope for a peaceful year is quickly pushed aside by a pompous Defense teacher, mysterious voices in the walls and the heir of Slytherin.
1. Unexpected House Guests

_Disclaimer: This story is based on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets which is not mine. This story is also the sequal to Unknown Relations: The Philosopher's Stone. Reading that first would probably be wise. This story may also contain items that are in Deathly Hallows. If you haven't ready the book and don't want to be spoiled, please proceed with caution._

Chapter 1

Unexpected House Guests

Orion Black was bored which was a rare occurrence, especially when it involved learning. As every other child, Orion loved to learn about the world around him and usually threw himself into every subject. Occulmency, however, wasn't a subject that someone could throw one's self into.

Orion was like every other magical child with a pureblood parent in the wizarding world raised in the basics of pureblood ideals. Every pureblood child was taught the basics of Occulmency, the art of protecting the mind from intrusion. Unfortunately, Occulmency was a difficult study to grasp, especially in childhood. Orion had been one of the few to succeed which meant that he had to refresh his studies every summer.

After all, a well organized and protected mind was a valuable mind.

That wasn't why Orion was so bored though. Orion was bored because instead of a practical lesson with his father, Orion was trying to re-read the important points of Occulmency in an old, boring book ever since his father had been called into work…again. It wasn't surprising, really. In all honesty, Sirius Black had been home more than normal, spending as much time as possible with his son…

…something that Orion had a feeling was associated with his previous year at Hogwarts. Sure, Orion's first year at Hogwarts hadn't exactly been what would be considered normal but it really hadn't been that bad…well, Orion had nearly died in a standoff against the Dark Wizard Voldemort and one of his followers but it had only been one incident. It wasn't like Orion had gone out looking for trouble or caused mayhem like his father had back in the day.

The theory worked logically but Sirius Black wasn't necessarily known for being logical when it came to matters concerning his son…his only son. Sirius had trusted Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts with his son's safety only to have that trust broken. It would take an awful lot to repair that trust is past experience was anything to go by.

The sound of someone entering the library pulled Orion out of his frustrated thoughts. He tried to look busy as his uncle, Remus Lupin, came into view but knew it was probably pointless to try. Remus had a gift for knowing Orion better than even Sirius sometimes. With one look, he just knew what to do or say and always approached problems calmly. At times it seemed odd that the most rational member of the family was a werewolf but that was indeed the case for the Black family.

Once again, Orion was pulled out of his thoughts when Remus ran a hand through Orion's black hair before sitting down beside him. "It must have been a dire emergency," Remus said mildly. "Your father knows how dreadfully boring those books are. He would never assign them if he was thinking clearly."

Orion shrugged his shoulders as he tried not to stare at his uncle. At first glance, one would think that Remus was older than he actually was by the flecks of grey already present in his light brown hair. He was painfully thin from his recent transformation and still looked ill and exhausted, no matter how much Remus tried to hide it.

"Stop worrying about me, Ori," Remus scolded lightly. "I'm fine although your bedtime may be a little earlier than normal tonight if your father isn't back by then." It was meant as a joke but Orion's concerned glance didn't change. Remus let out a sigh and pulled the book out of Orion's hands. "Well, I think you've had enough Occulmency for one day. What would you like to do? Charms? Transfiguration? Potions? A game of chess or maybe we should have a go at some history?"

Orion scowled as he enfolded his arms across his chest. He hated Wizarding History (at least the part of Wizarding History that contained the Goblin Rebellions) more than Occulmency which was saying a lot. Remus loved teaching it because there was always some hidden lesson that the Wizarding World could never seem to learn. The number of Goblin Rebellions over the years was a clear indication of that. "You love to torture me, don't you?" Orion asked quietly.

Remus grinned. "I see you're finally catching on, Shadow," he said proudly. The use of Orion's Marauder name was a clear indication that he was trying to stay away from any sort of serious conversation. "So what'll it be? I can teach you a few useful Charms that your father would encourage but you must swear never to reveal where you learned them."

Orion shrugged as he pulled out his wand and summoned his Charms journal. Once it arrived, he pushed aside his Occulmency notes and opened it to the appropriate page. With his quill and ink ready, Orion partially turned to face Remus with an eager look on his face. It was a rare occasion for Remus to deviate from the Standard Book of Spells material but when he did, it always turned out very beneficial.

Remus cleared his throat and pulled out his own wand. "The first spell is _Muffliato_," he began, pausing for a moment as Orion started to write. "This spell was used quite often during my days at Hogwarts, especially by the Marauders when we were planning a prank. It fills the ears of everyone nearby with an unidentifiable buzzing so they can't hear what you're talking about."

Orion stared at Remus with a raised eyebrow. "So that's the spell you used when I was younger to keep me from overhearing about Dad's missions?" he asked.

Remus nodded. "Very good, Ori. A simple _Finite Incantatem_ will end the spell which is sometimes one of the hardest things to remember. For example, in our sixth year, your father was planning a prank with James Potter and tried to call me over to help them. The problem was I couldn't hear a thing. I was busy talking to someone else at the time so I had no idea your father was trying to get my attention until I turned around and saw what an idiot he was making of himself. He was jumping up and down, waving his arms like some madman." Remus chuckled and Orion grinned. "Of course your father will deny that ever happened if you ask him."

"Moony, Dad denies everything that makes him look like an idiot," Orion said matter-of-factly. "He claims that you misread everything."

"Ah, so it's my fault," Remus said knowingly. "That actually explains quite a bit."

The 'lesson' was probably one of the most entertaining Orion had experienced in a long time. Remus would lecture about a spell, using a story from his days at Hogwarts for reference then actually use the spell on Orion before allowing Orion to try out the spell on him. _That_ was actually quite funny. Orion had caught Remus by surprise more than once and had to fumble with casting the counter spells accurately before Remus ran out of patience.

Needless to say, Orion and Remus broke out into laughter quite a few times.

The sound of someone clearing their throat put an abrupt end to the lesson. Looking towards the entrance to the library, Orion's eyes widened at the sight of his father standing behind a twelve-year-old bespectacled boy with messy hair and a girl who looked to be around ten with long black hair and hazel eyes. To say it was a surprise to see Hayden Potter and his sister in Black Manor was certainly an understatement, especially since all of Orion's letters to Hayden had gone unanswered.

"Sirius," Remus said rising to his feet and brushed off his robes. "Taking in strays?"

Sirius didn't look amused in the slightest. "Potter Manor was infiltrated tonight," he said sternly. "A house elf broke in and threatened Hayden. Until the wards can be reinforced, Hayden and Rose need some place safe to say. Scrimgeour suggested Black manor."

Remus stared at Sirius for a long moment before letting out a sigh and shaking his head. "Well, I suppose you should get back before your boss misses you. Orion and I can handle things here."

Sirius nodded before resting a hand on the shoulders of the Potter children, urging them the turn around. In a blink of an eye, his Auror façade faded away to the caring father Orion knew so well. Sirius dropped to one knee and looked at each child in the eye. "Now I don't know what your parents have told you about Black Manor but I assure you both that you will be safe here," he said gently. "Remus over there will take good care of you. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask."

Hayden rubbed his hands together nervously as Rose shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Mr. Black," Hayden began, "if you don't want us here—"

"—Hayden," Sirius interrupted sternly. "I have no problem with you and Rose spending a few days here. My problems with your parents are with your parents only." Hayden looked over his shoulder at Orion. "I mean it, Hayden. You _are_ welcomed here." Sirius rose to his feet and met Orion's gaze. "Ori, a word."

Orion scurried to his feet and quickly followed his father out of the library. Anyone who didn't know Sirius well would think that Sirius was about to scold Orion for some reason but Orion knew that his father was about to tell him something very secretive and important. That was one thing Orion liked about his father. He never held back details concerning Auror work unless it was too graphic for a twelve-year-old to hear.

As soon as they reached the staircase, Orion felt a familiar, comforting hand on his shoulder and looked up to meet his father's gaze. "Ori, there's something you need to know about Hayden," Sirius said quietly. "He never received any of your letters or anyone else's. Until tonight, Hayden actually believed that I wouldn't let you be his friend."

Orion raised his eyebrows in surprise. That actually explained quite a bit. "Do you need me to find out more about the house elf?" he asked cautiously.

Sirius shook his head. "I think distracting Hayden and Rose from what happened is probably the best at the moment. Hayden needs a friend more than answers, Ori." At Orion's obedient nod, Sirius' gaze softened. "Do I even want to know what Moony has been teaching you?"

"Charms," Orion answered easily.

Sirius stared at Orion with a raised eyebrow. "Right," he said skeptically. "I will have a talk with your uncle in the morning. Don't stay up too late. Moony needs his rest."

Orion nodded again. "He already told me as much," he said quickly before giving his father a quick hug around the waist. "Be careful, Dad."

Sirius placed a kiss on the top of Orion's head. "And you try to have some fun," he countered. "Your insane love of studying can wait a day or two."

Orion rolled his eyes. He knew that his father would never understand his love of learning just like a lot of other people. Neville Longbottom, his best friend, agreed with Sirius but normally refrained from voicing his opinion since Orion's usually helped Neville with his schoolwork. His other best friend, Hermione Granger, was actually a more intense version of Orion. She believed knowledge was the most important thing in the world. _If Dad thinks I'm bad, he should spend a day with her._

Once Sirius left, Orion hurried back to the library on to come to an abrupt halt at the sight of Remus carefully assisting Rose with the Levitation Charm with Remus' wand while Hayden looked on in amusement. _So much for not studying._Orion pulled up a chair beside Hayden and noticed how Hayden's face changed from amusement to nervousness. Remus seemed to notice to and asked Rose to stop for a moment.

"Hayden and Rose would like to learn a few basics while they're visiting,Orion," Remus said casually. "If you would help Hayden with second year charms, I'll walk Rose through the Levitation Charm and some of the other basics."

Orion frowned. "But Dad said—"

"—your father refuses to believe that anyone could consider learning fun," Remus interrupted with a smile. "I'll talk to him, Ori. Now, why don't you take Hayden up to your room where your books are? I have a feeling the house elves have already selected where Hayden and Rose will be sleeping tonight so find Hayden's trunk for his wand before you begin. Rose and I will be up in an hour."

Orion shrugged and stuffed his books, journals and parchment into his school bag before pulling Hayden out of the library. He had a feeling the 'learning' was to be more of a distraction than anything else which coincided with what Orion had originally been asked to do by his father.

"So," Hayden began uncomfortably as they reached the staircase. "How's your summer been?"

Orion hesitated for a moment before directing Hayden towards the West Wing. "All right, I guess," he admitted. "Neville and Cedric have been over a lot but it was mostly for help with summer assignments."

Hayden stared at Orion with wide eyes. "Diggory was asking you for help with his assignments?" he asked. "Isn't he going into his fourth year?"

Orion laughed as they started walking up the stairs. "No, he asked Remus for help. He normally does over the summer. The three of us are from only child households so we usually visit each other as much as possible." Orion cast Hayden a curious glance. "How has yours been—before tonight that is?"

"Miserable," Hayden muttered. "No one ever answered any of my letters and my parents refused to let me contact any of you through the floo to find out why. They were more concerned about security than a few unanswered letters. When that house elf showed up in my room tonight, they completely panicked. I'm actually surprised they let us out of their sight."

Orion bit his lip nervously. He needed to lighten Hayden's mood quickly. "Well, if it makes you feel any better I did send you a letters and a birthday present."

"You did?" Hayden asked eagerly. "What did you get me?"

They reached the second level. "Turn left here," he said then smiled. "Well, I can't take all of the credit. My dad actually picked it out. I told him I wanted to get you something Quidditch related so he picked up a broom servicing kit."

Hayden's mouth fell open. "Really?" he asked breathlessly. "I wish I would have gotten everything from Dobby."

"Dobby?" Orion asked in confusion.

Hayden sighed. "The house elf that tried to stop me from going to Hogwarts," he clarified. "He said I'd be in grave danger if I did."

Orion frowned in thought. That wasn't good. He knew that many house elves believed they were in debt to Hayden for stopping Voldemort. If someone was plotting something so sinister that a house elf went as far as to go out of their way to warn Hayden then there was certainly reason for alarm. "Are you sure no one sent the elf to just scare you?" asked Orion.

Hayden shook his head confidently. "No way. Dobby kept punishing himself whenever he said anything."

Orion tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I can't say I've ever heard of a house elf named Dobby so that clears me, Neville and Cedric," he said optimistically.

Hayden grinned. "That's a relief. Now I can sleep at night knowing that two of my closest friends aren't out to get me."

Orion snorted as they finally reached his bedroom. "You have enough enemies as it is, Hayden," he said as he walked into his bedroom and walked over to his desk as the lights flickered on automatically to reveal a large room with a large four poster bed, desk, wardrobe and several shelves full of books. "I'd rather be your friend."

Hayden beamed as he followed Orion. "Have you heard from Hermione or Ron?" he asked as he sat down on Orion's trunk that rested at the foot of the bed.

Orion set his school bag down on his desk and picked out his second year charms book from the pile on his desk before turning to face Hayden. "Hermione's written a few times, mostly about homework," he admitted. "I haven't heard from Ron, though. Bill's written…and Charlie…and Fred and George…"

"Oh," Hayden said quietly. "Well, you know how bad he felt after everything. Maybe he just doesn't know what to say."

Orion shrugged. He had never been close to Ron so he really hadn't thought anything of it. In Orion's opinion, Ron had an inferiority complex the size of Hogwarts which was bound to cause problems since his best friend was the-boy-who-lived. Orion could only hope that Ron had learned something from the conflicts the two of them had last year. "Well, we've got the material so all we need now is your wand," Orion said at last. "Mindy!"

There was a loud _crack_ like a whip and, standing before them, was a small little creature with large, bat-like ears and bulging blue eyes wearing what looked like a black dress that a small child would wear. "Young Master call Mindy, sir," the creature squeaked.

"Yes, I did, Mindy," Orion said with a smile. "Remus mentioned that our guests were given rooms. Could you tell us where they are?"

Mindy smiled widely. "Oh yes, Young Master," she said excitedly. "Master Guest is across the hall from Young Master and Mistress Guest is next to Master Guest. Master wanted Master and Mistress Guest nearby to keep Master and Mistress Guest safe."

"Thanks Mindy," Orion said with a laugh. "That'll be all."

Mindy bowed and vanished with a loud _crack_.

"Well then," Orion said as he tossed the book onto the bed. "Why don't you go get your wand while I dig out everything we'll need?"

Hayden hurried across the hall into the room while Orion pulled out some parchment, a few quills and a bottle of ink. He quickly noticed that he was missing his Charms Journal and quickly summoned it from the Library. In a matter of moments, Orion could hear the journal flying towards him, the pages ruffling against the wind. It grew louder and louder until…

"I found it—oomph!"

The journal had collided with Hayden in the hallway. Orion rushed to Hayden's side, instantly helping him to his feet. "Sorry," Orion said quickly as he picked up his journal. "So, I thought we'd start with the Severing Charm and the Repairing Charm. If you get those down we can move onto the Disarming Charm."

"You're the boss," Hayden said as he rubbed the side of his head that the journal hit. "Just don't hit me with any more flying books."

For the next hour, Orion pushed Hayden as hard as he could to successfully cast the Charms. Unfortunately, Charms wasn't Hayden's strongest subject but he still managed to cast the Severing Charm and the Repairing Charm by the time Remus came up with Rose announcing that it was time for bed. Both Hayden and Rose seemed to be reluctant to go into their rooms but they still went when told, allowing Remus to retire for the night.

Wide awake, Orion pulled out Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 from his school bad and tossed it on his bed. He quickly changed into his pajamas and jumped into bed. If he was lucky, he could possibly get through a chapter before his lights went out. He had finally reached the chapter on Memory Charms although all that was written was the theory of the spell since it was immoral to have children even attempt to modify memories. Too much could possibly go wrong.

With the fading of the lights, Orion marked his page and set the book on his bedside table. With everything in consideration, Orion knew that he would have to get everything started in the morning. Remus normally slept in when he was recovering from the full moon and it would be difficult to say what demands would be placed on the Master of the house. An attempt on the-boy-who-lived was the biggest threat the Auror Department had seen in quite some time. In Orion's mind, there was no doubt that Sirius would be a part of the team.

Crawling under the bedcovers, Orion tried to get comfortable but sleep seemed to elude him. How could one sleep after everything that had happened? Orion wanted to sneak downstairs by the fireplace and wait for Sirius to come home but knew it would probably be pointless. With as demanding as the Head of the Auror office, Rufus Scrimgeour, was, Orion anticipated that his father could very well be working until dawn.

The sound of a door creaking put an abrupt end to any thoughts whatsoever. Remaining completely still, Orion listened as footsteps lightly tapped against the bare wood floors for only a few moments before they stopped. There was another creak followed by a soft voice calling out, "Hayden? Are you still awake?"

"Yeah," Hayden answered quietly. "Scared?"

"A little. Can I sleep in here tonight?"

There was a slight hesitation before Hayden spoke again. "Follow me," he said.

There was some rustling before Orion heard his door creak open. Rolling over, Orion saw Hayden and Rose standing in the doorway. Both of their faces were shadowed in darkness from the hallway light but it was easy to pick out one from the other. Hayden was about a head and a half taller with short, messy hair, wearing a shirt and sleep pants while Rose had long hair and was wearing a nightdress.

Orion?" Hayden asked tentatively. "May we come in for a bit?"

Orion sat up and nodded. "Just close the door," he said as he pushed back the bed covers. "Remus needs his sleep and his hearing is quite good."

Rose hurried to the bed while Hayden closed the door, drenching the door into near darkness. Hayden joined Rose at the foot of the bed, still looking a little nervous. It was hard to miss the comforting hand Hayden put on Rose's shoulder making Orion wonder if that was what having a sibling was like. Sure, Bill and Charlie had talked about looking out for their younger siblings and the twins—well, the twins mainly talked about pranking as much as they could.

"So," Hayden said, breaking the silence. "Is this normal for you? Your dad leaving Mr. Lupin in charge."

Orion had to bit back the laugh that threatened to escape his lips. "Don't call Remus _Mr. Lupin_," he advised with a grin. "Remus and my dad have a constant war with each other about who's considered old. If my dad were to hear that, he would never let Remus live it down." At Hayden and Rose's nervous looks, Orion hastily added, "It's all in good fun. Remus and my dad usually prank each other when Dad has a day off."

Hayden and Rose shared a skeptical look. "It's just hard to think of your dad as a prankster," Hayden said slowly. "When he arrived with the Aurors, it was a little scary. He was barking out orders at everyone. I think he even scared Dad."

Orion shrugged helplessly. He knew how his father got when his overprotectiveness snapped into action. Regardless of what problems rested between the Black and Potter families, Orion knew that Sirius would still do everything in his power to protect Hayden and Rose which had nothing to do with the fact that Sirius was Hayden's godfather. Taking Hayden's confusion in mind, Orion had to wonder if Hayden even knew who he godparents were.

"So," Orion said at last as he leaned against the headboard. "We've never officially met, Rose. Hayden mentioned you're two years younger than us. When's your birthday?"

"August 31st," Rose answered softly. "I just made the cutoff. I don't know what I would have done if I had born a day later. It was dreadfully boring this past year when Hayden left for Hogwarts. It's hard to eavesdrop when there's no one serving as lookout."

Orion's gaze shifted between Rose and Hayden. Apparently Hayden hadn't been exaggerating when he had mentioned how Mr. and Mrs. Potter prefer to keep their children in the dark about everything. Orion couldn't imagine growing up like that. Sure, there were secrets in the Black family but they mostly concerned the past. His father and uncle had always tried to tell him as much as they felt he could handle concerning matters of the present.

"Have you ever asked your parents why they—well—are so secretive?" Orion asked curiously.

Rose scoffed as she enfolded her arms across her chest. "Dad would tell us that its adult stuff and Mum would just tell us to listen to Dad," she said bitterly.

Orion stared at Rose incredulously. "Have they always been like that?" he asked. He didn't know what he would do if the adults in his household acted like that. _I won't ever complain about Dad and Remus ever again. _

Hayden and Rose shrugged. "It's not all bad," Hayden countered. "It's just hard when you're locked away from everyone else all the time for your own safety. We know Mum and Dad just want to protect us but there must be other ways to go about it. I mean, look at you, Orion. Your dad has kept you safe."

"But I'm not the-boy-who-lived or directly related to you," Orion pointed out, his gaze shifting from Hayden to Rose. "I saw Voldemort. I know he's still out there and there are quite a few of his followers still faithful to him who wiggled their way out of time in Azakban. I'm not saying your parents are right but they just want to keep you two safe. When my dad was younger, he vowed never to live here because he hated it so much but he broke that vow when he adopted me because he thought my safety was more important than his bad memories of this place."

Hayden and Rose shared a look but didn't say any more on the topic. There were more questions about life at Black Manor, some about Sirius and a few about Remus, most of them coming from Rose, surprisingly. The more time Orion spent with the girl, the more he realized that she was a bit like him especially concerning the thirst for knowledge.

Before long, Orion noticed Rose yawn for the third time in only a few minutes and mentioned that it was best to call it a night. The lights had nearly extinguished making it difficult to see but Orion didn't miss how tense Hayden and Rose suddenly became. It only took a moment for Orion to realize that both Potter children were still nervous about spending the night in a foreign place which was completely understandable. It would have been different if Hayden and Rose had been able to explore the Manor or given a tour to know where the basics were. Since they hadn't, Orion figured the least he could do was to offer his room.

Hayden immediately crawled over to the left side of the bed while Rose crawled to the right leaving Orion in the middle. It seemed to take no time for the three of them to get comfortable allowing them, one by one, to finally slip off to dreamland. As he did, all Orion could think was that he hoped Rose and Hayden didn't kick in their sleep.

* * *

A/N: And Year Two has finally begun. I know many people have been patiently waiting for this story to begin and I apologize for the delay. I will be inserting some parts of book 7 into the series but I haven't decided how much yet. Hopefully the chapters will come quickly so you won't have to wait like you did for Rise of the Protector. 


	2. Black Manor

Chapter 2

Black Manor

It was the sensation of being watched followed by the sensation of being squished between two bodies was what pulled Orion to consciousness. Opening his eyes, Orion groaned in protest at the overabundance of sunlight. Being blinded that badly meant only one thing. Orion had slept in. His dad would have been proud. Orion, however, was not. How was he supposed to help everyone out if he couldn't manage to wake up on time?

Rubbing his tired eyes, Orion finally realized what—or more precisely who—was squishing him. On his right, Rose was curled up with her face buried against his shoulder, her long black hair covering most of her face and his shoulder. On his left, Hayden slept with his back pressed up against Orion's side, his messy hair looking even more disheveled than normal. Both of the Potters were still sleeping deeply, looking like they had no intention of waking soon.

Confusion quickly set in. If Hayden and Rose were still asleep, then why did he still feel like someone was watching him? Slowly, Orion gazed around the room and found his answer when his eyes rested on the open doorway. Much to Orion's surprise, Sirius was standing there, still dressed in his Auror robes, leaning against the doorframe with what looked like a regretful look on his face. Orion could only imagine what his father was feeling, having missed so much of Hayden's life because James Potter was a git.

As carefully as possible, Orion tried to pry himself out of bed without waking Hayden and Rose. That was certainly easier said than done. The bedcovers were pulled so tight by Hayden and Rose that it difficult to even move. A soft chuckle reached his ears as Orion got his feet tangled in Rose's nightdress causing Orion to scowl at Sirius. Eventually, Orion managed to pull himself free and crawl out of bed, glaring at his father. He hadn't found the situation _that_ funny.

With a smile still on his face, Sirius jerked his head towards the hallway, signaling for Orion to follow. Slightly confused, Orion hurried after Sirius only finally noticing how tense Sirius appeared to be. That was never a good sign. That normally meant that something had gone wrong and Sirius had no way to vent his anger before coming home.

"Dad?" Orion asked softly as he stepped into the hallway. "Dad, what's wrong?"

Sirius turned around and knelt before Orion before running a hand through Orion's hair. "You're too observant, you know that?" he asked with a half-smile before his face turned serious. "I've been taken off the Potter case. My superiors want me here to protect the children in case there's another attack."

Orion stared at Sirius incredulously. "Don't they know how secure the Manor is?" he asked. "Mindy and Toby set up protections so house elves couldn't Apparate in unless they're keyed into the wards."

Sirius rose to his feet, looking a little uncomfortable. "Actually, no," he admitted. "No one knows about that because it is not a common practice. Mindy and Toby actually put up quite a fight when I asked them so we had to make an arrangement. That part of the protections on the Manor is only active when you're here. At the present time, you are the only Black heir so it is understandable—at least to house elves—that I would want to protect the family line at any cost."

"But Dad—"

"—Mindy and Toby could get in a lot of trouble, Ori," Sirius interrupted. "They put themselves at risk for me—for us—so we need to protect them. They're the best house elves this family has ever had. Do I really need to remind you of Kreacher?"

Orion cringed. That had been one freaky house elf. Kreacher had been his grandmother's elf until she died, completely brainwashed into believing that the Black family's dark past had been something to be proud of. Kreacher had hated Sirius with a passion and, therefore, hated Orion. After Kreacher had woken Orion in the middle of the night, mumbling about ways to destroy 'blood traitors', Sirius had ordered Kreacher to live at Hogwarts working for Professor Dumbledore and to never have any contact whatsoever with any relatives of the Black family.

"So, until further notice, you're stuck with me," Sirius added with a noncommittal shrug. "I suppose we should probably wake the remaining participants of your slumber party—"

"—but Dad—"

"—I'm only joking, Orion," Sirius interrupted with a smile. "Actually, I'm proud of you. Not many noticed how scared those kids were while they searched the house and stared at Hayden. Many fail to realize that behind the famous name is just a normal boy with normal fears. What was even worse was how everyone just ignored Rose quivering at Hayden's side. She's only nine-bloody-years-old for Merlin's sake."

"Orion?"

Orion turned to see Hayden approaching the doorway, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes before sliding his glasses on. At that moment, Orion wished that everyone in the wizarding world could see what he was seeing. They would see the boy that many preferred to ignore when the name Hayden Potter was mentioned.

"Sorry, Hayden," Orion said sincerely. "We didn't mean to wake you."

Hayden's gaze shifted from Orion to Sirius. "Mr. Black," he said quietly. "I—"

"Call me Sirius, Hayden," Sirius interrupted with a smile. "'Mr. Black' makes me feel old. Now, I suggest you wake your sister so we can finish breakfast before your mother fire-calls, demanding to know what you did every minute you were here."

Hayden cringed before hurrying back to the bed and shaking Rose awake. He didn't even give her time to wake up completely before pulling her out of the bed. Sirius just shook his head ruefully at the still partially sleeping Rose before turning and leading the way to the kitchen. With every step, Rose became more and more aware of what was going on. By the time they entered the kitchen, Rose appeared to be trying to memorize everything she saw.

Orion wasn't surprised to see a steaming breakfast waiting for them on the table. Mindy and Toby always seemed to know when someone was hungry. As they dug in, Sirius answered any questions Hayden and Rose had concerning the investigation, even explaining the basic procedures for Aurors when both children appeared to be confused. Both of the Potters listened intently, their eyes never leaving Sirius' face until the door opened, making everyone jump.

Remus came to an abrupt halt as he took in the scene before smiling. "So sorry," he said as he slowly moved to sit down beside Sirius. He had already changed out of his pajamas into a pair of thin robes that looked like they had seen better days. "I didn't mean to startle anyone. Carry on."

Sirius shook his head as he poured Remus a cup of tea. "I think they've heard enough about my boring job," he admitted.

Remus' eyes scanned the group before resting on Sirius. "Ah," he said before taking a sip of his tea. "So you were informing the children of the latest developments in the investigation. Don't you think that's something their parents—"

"—but then we won't know anything!" Hayden interrupted. "Mr. Lupin, please. I think we have a right to know what's going on! That elf threatened _me_! Not Mum and Dad!"

Remus' gaze shifted to Hayden as an understanding smile formed on his face. "Call me Remus, Hayden," he said gently. "I'm not saying you don't have a right to information. However, it isn't up for us to decide what you should or should not be told. That _is_ up to your parents to decide. You boys already have a complicated friendship because of your parents. Let's not make it any worse, all right?"

Hayden let out a huff of annoyance as he enfolded his arms across his chest stubbornly. Rose looked extremely uncomfortable, sinking low in her chair. Orion wanted to glare at Remus for changing the mood so drastically but a part of him knew that Remus was right. The last thing he wanted was for the Potters to forbid their children from having anything to do with the Blacks.

"So, what are the plans for today?" Remus asked, changing the topic. "I had planned on giving Rose an introduction to Magical History—"

"—no, Remus," Sirius interrupted. "They're kids. Let them have some fun—"

--but Dad," Orion protested. "Remus' history lessons are fun—at least until he starts on the Goblin Rebellions. Those are boring but maybe he could tell Rose the legends of Hogwarts. That's one of my favorites."

"Legends of Hogwarts?" Rose asked in confusion. "Do you mean the founders?"

Remus smiled. "Well, there are legends that surround each founder," he began. "The most well known legend is the conflict between Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin. The second would be the treasures of the founders. Let's see, Godric Gryffindor has his sword, Helga Hufflepuff had a cup, Rowena Ravenclaw had a diadem and Salazar Slytherin…well, there are many variations to what his could be since it was rarely seen by anyone who was not of Slytherin blood."

Rose was nearly jumping up and down in excitement. "Ooh! Can you tell me? Please?"

Remus chuckled before grabbing a few pieces of toast and slowly rising to his feet. "All right. Come on, then. I'll take you up to your room so you can change then we can convene in the library." His gaze shifted to Sirius. "Shall we see you boys at lunch?"

Sirius nodded and watched Remus leave with Rose. As soon as the door closed, he shook his head in exasperation. "Something wrong with that man, I'm telling you," he muttered before shifting his gaze to Orion. "And what are you two have set for today?"

"I sort of promised I'd teach Hayden the Disarming Charm, Dad," Orion said meeting his father's gaze in a challenging manner.

Sirius blinked before nodding with a grin on his face. "We can do that," he said standing up. "Go change boys. I'll meet you two in the Dueling Room."

Orion's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked in surprise. "You mean we can duel?"

Sirius shrugged. "I don't see why not. It would be better Hayden learned what he could now in case he has any more midnight duels in the future."

Hayden groaned as he buried his face in his hands. "Does everyone know everything that happens at Hogwarts?" he asked dreadfully.

Orion gave Hayden a pat on the back. "Only when it concerns you," he said honestly.

_CRACK._ Mindy appeared and bowed to Sirius and Orion. "Fire-call for Young Master, sir," she squeaked. "Young Master Longbottom wishing to talk to Young Master, sir."

"Thanks Mindy!" Orion shouted. He was already out of the kitchen and running towards the fireplace in the living room where Neville's head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large egg. "Hey Neville. I didn't think I'd hear from you today."

Neville looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, my mum got called into work and Dad's having one of his bad days," he said quietly as Hayden entered the living room. "Do you think it would be all right for me to come over for a while? Dad really needs to rest."

"Orion!" Sirius shouted from the kitchen. "Tell Neville to get a move on if he's going to join in your lesson!"

"Lesson?" Neville asked in confusion.

"Dueling," Orion said with a grin. "Hayden's over and Dad has the day off so he was going to teach Hayden a few things. What do you say? It's your chance to learn some spells with no one watching."

Neville nodded firmly. "I'll get my wand and be right over," he said. "The password is still the same, right?"

Orion nodded. "See you soon," he said and waited for Neville's head to vanish with a small pop before rising to his feet. "Let's get moving, Hayden."

In no time at all, Hayden and Orion were back in the living room, changed and armed. Hayden's excitement was just as noticeable as Rose's had been about the Legends of the Founders. They didn't have to wait long for the flames in the fireplace to turn green just before Neville stumbled out, nearly falling on his face. Orion had placed himself close enough to the fireplace in order keep exactly that from happening but, from the looks of it, Neville was actually starting to improve in his floo travel.

Neville and Hayden were only able to bid brief hellos before Sirius' voice rang out, notifying them that they had only two minutes to come to the Dueling Room or lessons would be canceled. Orion led the way through the kitchen, down the stairs, around the corner and into a brightly lit room that appeared to have dark blue padding on the walls and floor. Hayden and Neville stared at the room in amazement while Orion joined Sirius in the middle of the room.

Sirius gave Orion a playful nudge before whispering, "So, how do you feel about a little wager?" he asked.

Orion glanced up at Sirius suspiciously. He knew that look. That was the look that was always on Sirius Black's face just before a prank war began. "What kind of wager?" he asked cautiously.

"Well, how about we each take a victim—I mean a student—and the first to have their student successfully cast the Disarming Charm on the other wins," Sirius proposed.

"Wins what?" Orion asked, his suspicion only increasing. "Dad, I'm not going to gang up on Moony just so you can win a duel against him."

Sirius looked aghast. "Orion, I have won plenty of duels against Moony on my own," he insisted. "I was actually thinking of something a little more practical. If I win, you have to spend three days of my choosing having fun—without picking up a book. If you win then I won't bring up your unhealthy obsession with books for the rest of the summer holidays."

Orion shrugged. "I suppose that's fair," he said carefully. "I'll take Hayden since Neville knows you better."

Sirius glanced over at the two boys, all humor leaving his face. "I agree," he said softly.

Orion bit his lower lip nervously, mentally cursing himself for not seeing it sooner. This was really the first time Sirius had been able to spend some quality time with his godson in almost seven years only to have his son step in the way. "Dad, if you want to spend time with Hayden—"

"—don't worry about it Ori," Sirius interrupted sincerely. "You have a valid point. I can talk with Hayden later. Now, I have a bet to win."

Orion rolled his eyes before walking over to Hayden and pulling him to the far corner of the room. Regardless of the bet, Orion did what he could to instruct Hayden just like he did the night before. Hayden was a lot like Neville. Both of them responded well to patience and positive reassurance. They needed to know that it was all right to fail at first because it was extremely rare for anyone to master anything on the very first try.

After nearly a half hour of tutoring, Hayden and Neville were positioned ten paces away from each other while Sirius and Orion stood off to the side. The nervousness was clearly visible on Hayden and Neville's faces as well as in their stances. Orion could remember feeling the same when he had first tested out a spell on Remus. There had been more fear of messing the spell up than actually performing it.

"All right," Sirius said loudly. "Hayden, Neville, on the count of three. One…two…three—"

"_Expelliarmus_!"

At the same time, both Hayden and Neville were thrown backwards a few feet as their wands went flying in the opposite direction, landing where the opponent had originally stood. Both Hayden and Neville looked positively shocked at each other for a long moment before shifting their gazes to Orion and Sirius. Orion didn't even bother holding back his excitement as he let out a congratulatory yell then hurried to Hayden's side.

"That was great!" Orion exclaimed as he picked up Neville's wand and tossed it back to Neville. "Both of you had so much power in the spell! Now you just have to learn the Shield Charm so no one can disarm you!"

"I agree," Sirius added as he picked up Hayden's wand and tossed it over to Hayden. "But before we start on the Shield Charm, I think Hayden and Neville need to learn how to control how much force they put in the Disarming Spell. Is that all right with you two?"

Hayden and Neville nodded quickly, allowing Sirius to take over teaching both of them with Orion serving as Sirius' assistant. Orion had to fight smiling as Hayden and Neville listened intently to every word Sirius said as if Sirius held all the answers in the world. It was almost funny. Sirius had always protested to Orion's intense tutoring only to turn around and tutor two of Orion's friends.

As Sirius ran through the details in the wand movements, Orion noticed that Hayden and Neville were trying to be discreet in trying out everything multiple times just to make sure they had it right. Both of them had jumped in surprise when Sirius had reached out and corrected Hayden, causing Hayden and Neville to flush in embarrassment. Sirius took mercy on them and put the lecture on hold to test a few methods out on a dueling dummy that he had conjured only be interrupted by a loud _crack_.

"Master, sir!" Mindy squeaked excitedly. "Fire-call for Master Guest, sir."

Sirius immediately grasped Hayden's shoulder in a protective manner. "Do you know who it is, Mindy?" he asked cautiously.

"Mother of Master and Mistress Guest, sir," Mindy answered quickly

Sirius relaxed as he released Hayden. "Thank you, Mindy. We'll take care of it. Please inform Rose that her mother is in the fire." Mindy bowed before vanishing with a loud _crack._ "Let's take a short break. Hayden, let's go talk to your mother."

Hayden's face fell. "Do I have to go home?" he asked quietly.

Sirius hesitated before kneeling down so he could meet Hayden, face to face. "That is up to your parents," he answered. "If they want you home, then yes, you'll have to go. However, if they don't mind, you and Rose are welcome to stay for as long as you like."

Hayden beamed and happily walked with Sirius out of the Dueling Room, up the stairs, through the kitchen and into the living room where Lily Potter's head was sitting in the middle of the large flames. Orion and Neville followed at a distance, unsure of whether it would be a 'private' conversation or not. They stayed near the kitchen door, ready to leave just in case.

"Good morning, Hayden!" Mrs. Potter said cheerfully from the flames. "I trust you and your sister have been behaving yourselves."

Hayden knelt down in front of the fire with a wide smile still on his face. "Of course Mum," he said quickly. "It's been great here. Last night Orion taught me some charms and today, Mr. Black—" Sirius shot Hayden a stern look "—er—I mean Sirius started teaching us—Neville and me, that is—the Disarming Charm. He's been trying to show us how to control the spell so we don't send too much power in it. You should see their Dueling Room. It's great!"

"Sirius," Mrs. Potter said cautiously.

Sirius stood firm. "I'm not teaching him anything he won't learn this year, Lily. With everything they got into last year, the boys should know how to defend themselves. Besides, it's safer with me supervising than if they were to try to learn it on their own."

"Oh," Mrs. Potter said softly. "I didn't mean to criticize, Sirius. I'm just surprised. And Rose?"

"I'm here, Mum!" Rose shouted as she ran into the living room and joined Hayden, kneeling in front of the fireplace, now dressed in a pink shirt and a pair of jeans with her hair pulled back in a somewhat fancy fashion. "I was in the library with Remus. He was telling me stories about the Hogwarts founders. You should see the library here and the house elves. Mindy is so nice. She helped me with my hair this morning."

"I'm glad you two are having fun," Mrs. Potter said softly with an almost longing tone in her voice. "I just wanted to check up and update you on what's happening here. We have a few curse breakers coming this afternoon to re-enforce the wards. If everything goes smoothly, you two should be able to come home tonight, possibly tomorrow morning at the latest."

Hayden and Rose glanced at each other. "Can we stay here, Mum?" Hayden asked nervously. "Sirius said it would be okay. It's just that Orion and Neville are here—"

"—Hayden," Mrs. Potter warned. "Sirius is taking time off from his job to protect you and Rose."

"The children are welcome to stay, Lily," Sirius said briskly. "From what I've seen, they're lonely and could use some time with children their age. Hogwarts letters should arrive any day now. Orion normally prefers to pick up his supplies as soon as possible to prepare for the upcoming year. We can meet up in the Leaky Cauldron. You can take your children and go on your way, agreed?"

There was a brief hesitation while hope filled Orion. He couldn't believe it. He was going back to Hogwarts! Sirius had finally given in and realized that Hogwarts was the best places to acquire a magical education—at least much better than learning at home.

"I'll have to talk to James about it but I suppose you have a point," Mrs. Potter finally answered. "We really appreciate you doing this for us, Sirius."

"I'm doing it for Hayden and Rose, not for you," Sirius corrected quickly with a hint if irritation in his voice. "I'll let you know when we'll be going to Diagon Alley." Without another word, Sirius walked out of the room, passing Orion and Neville on his way to the kitchen.

A tense silence filled the room until Hayden rose to his feet. "Sirius is really nice to us, Mum," Hayden said quietly. "Please, just leave him alone."

Mrs. Potter let out a loud sigh. "I know, Hayden," she said softly. "Please tell Sirius that I'm sorry for upsetting him. I'll call again tonight after dinner and please, behave."

"We will," Hayden and Rose said quickly.

They bid their farewells and with a _pop_, Mrs. Potter's head was gone from the fire. Rose wasted no time before hurrying back to the library while Hayden turned and nervously glanced at Orion and Neville. Thankfully, Neville came to the rescue, proposing that they hurry back to the Dueling Room before Sirius got too bored. The excitement of trying out a few spells pushed any discomfort to the back of their minds.

For the rest of the day, Orion, Hayden and Neville worked in the dueling room with Sirius either instructing or supervising. It hadn't taken long for Sirius to revert back to his cheerful self and even begin joking around which erased any hint of tension between the four wizards. By the end of the afternoon, both Hayden and Neville had been successful in creating a controllable Disarming Charm along with a somewhat decent Shield Charm.

As dinner rolled around, Neville reluctantly went back home, leaving Orion, Hayden and Rose to spend the meal listening to Sirius and Remus recount stories about their days at Hogwarts. They were extremely mild stories in Orion's opinion but Hayden and Rose enjoyed them nonetheless. Rose had even begged for more information about the secret passages that seemed to appear and disappear like magic.

True to her word, Mrs. Potter had indeed fire-called after dinner however, this time, Sirius, Remus and Orion had left the room so the Potters could talk without pulling them into the conversation. It was certainly an awkward arrangement, wanting to be friends with children yet still be at odds with their parents. Orion knew that, no matter what, there were going to be problems, especially if Mr. and Mrs. Potter continued with their attempts to make amends with Sirius.

Some days Orion had to wonder what it had felt like to have a simple life.


	3. Owls and Peacocks

Chapter 3

Owls and Peacocks

Sirius had been right when he said the Hogwarts letters would arrive soon. Orion and Hayden had been greeted by two owls at breakfast two days later with letters held in their beaks. No time was wasted before the letters were torn open to reveal what second years would need for the upcoming year. Much to his disgust, Orion noticed that they would need seven books published by a wizard called Gilderoy Lockhart. They were extremely popular with the public, especially the witches. Orion, however, thought they were a load of rubbish. He had read Lockhart's 'Wanderings with Werewolves' and had nearly thrown the book into the fire quite a few times. The book had basically emphasized every stereotype there was about werewolves, claiming that only the bravest of the brave could 'handle' them.

"Who in their right mind would assign Lockhart's books for Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Sirius asked as he glanced at the list over Orion's shoulder. "Not only are they complete rubbish but they're also incredibly expensive."

Orion let out sigh as he pocketed his list. "Looks like another year of Defense Against the Dark Arts wasted," he said grimly then glanced over at Remus who was calmly sipping his tea. "Remus, could you make up list of books that I should be reading this year?"

"Is Lockhart really that bad?" Hayden asked cautiously.

"Not at all," Sirius said in a rather convincing tone. "He's absolutely brilliant. Just ask him. I'm sure he'd love to tell you his entire life story—after you bought the book about it, of course."

Remus and Orion snorted. "In that case, I'll pick out a few books for you at Flourish and Blott's, Orion, although you probably already know what's supposed to be covered," Remus said casually. "For some reason, I have a feeling I'll be doing this every year."

"At least you'll be prepared," Orion offered then stared at Remus with eyes full of pleading. "Please?"

Remus desperately fought not to laugh as he covered his mouth and looked away. "All right," he said with a chuckle. "All right, Orion. Just stop giving me those puppy dog eyes. After all, when have I ever said no to you?"

Orion smiled proudly before shooting a wink at Hayden. "If you want, you can borrow my books when I'm done," he whispered behind his hand although it was clear from the knowing looks passed by Sirius and Remus that they clearly heard. "It'll annoy Hermione a little but she'll get over it."

Hayden smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Ori. I really appreciate it."

As Hayden and Rose packed their trunks, Sirius contacted the Potters and the Longbottoms to arrange a meeting time at the Leaky Cauldron. Orion couldn't help overhearing Mrs. Potter offer to repay the favor by having him over for a few days and was grateful when Sirius declined. As much has he had liked spending the past few days with Hayden and Rose, Orion knew that he just wasn't ready to spend time around Mr. and Mrs. Potter. In addition to what they had done to Sirius, Orion couldn't help but feel that there was just something about them that made him feel uneasy.

The trip to Diagon Alley was scheduled for after lunch. They would travel by floo to the Leaky Cauldron and meet up with the Potters to drop off Hayden and Rose before meeting up with the Longbottoms to pick up Orion and Neville's school supplies. Orion hadn't missed the disappointed looks on Hayden and Rose's faces when they had been informed of the plan. They had clearly wanted to join the group but knew that Sirius would never willingly spend more time with their parents than absolutely necessary.

To prevent any problems, Sirius flooed with Hayden and Remus flooed with Rose, leaving Orion to follow suit alone. Orion didn't mind. He had used the floo network numerous times in to past when traveling to Neville and Cedric's home. He had learned the hard way to announce the destination clearly and not to breathe in when entering the fireplace. He knew that it wouldn't settle well to have something like that happen to Hayden and Rose at the last minute.

Stepping out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron, Orion immediately spotted the Longbottoms near the back of the pub and waved as he moved to Sirius' side. The dimly lit pub had only a few customers, nearly all were trying to not be caught staring at Hayden Potter. The Potter's, however, seemed to be unaware of the attention. Mr. Potter had his hands resting on Hayden's shoulders as he talked quietly to him while Mrs. Potter had her arms around Rose. At first glance, one would think that Mr. and Mrs. Potter hadn't seen their children in months. Hayden and Rose, on the other hand, didn't appear to be as excited.

"As you can see," Sirius said at last in a business-like tone. "The children are fine. Now, if you'll excuse us. Orion and Neville need to pick up their supplies."

Orion felt a hand rest on his shoulder and allowed Sirius to direct him towards the Longbottoms. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed that Hayden and Rose were quietly pleading with their parents who appeared to be torn between choices. Orion could only imagine the predicament Hayden and Rose were putting their parents in. Hayden obviously wanted to obtain his supplies with Orion and Neville but doing so would certainly be awkward for the parents.

"Sirius," Mr. Potter said softly, causing Sirius to come to an abrupt halt. "Please. Just for today. Can we forget about the past for the boys?"

Orion felt the hand on his shoulder tense. That was an awful lot to ask considering that it was Mr. Potter's fault that the situation was as bad as it was between the families. However, refusing Mr. Potter's proposal (especially with the proposal made in a public place) would be bad form on Sirius' part. Whether it was intentional or not, Mr. Potter had just trapped Sirius into an extremely uncomfortable situation.

"I have no problem with Hayden and Rose joining us," Sirius answered stiffly. "I would never stand between them and my son. If you two wish to join us, however, I would suggest you keep your distance. You may want to forget the past but unfortunately, I don't have that luxury." Without waiting for a reply, Sirius turned away from the Potters ushered Orion out the back door into a small, walled courtyard with Remus and the Longbottoms following him.

The trash can was ignored as Sirius pulled out his wand and tapped the correct brick three times. The large group waited patiently as the archway slowly appeared, revealing Diagon Alley. As soon as they stepped into the Alley, the group separated without words being said. Sirius and Mrs. Longbottom headed for Gringotts while Remus, Mr. Longbottom, Orion and Neville went towards Flourish and Blotts. As they reached the store, Orion and Neville couldn't help grinning as Hayden and Rose hurried to join them with Mrs. Potter hanging back. Mr. Potter was nowhere to be seen.

"Dad went to Gringotts," Hayden said quietly as they entered. "They promised to give Sirius his space. We just wanted to pick up a copy of the books Remus picks out for you. I know you said I could borrow your copies but I figured I could get a head start and leave what books I finish home with Rose."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Neville said idly. "I was actually planning on picking up a copy of Remus' list too. They're always more informational than the ones on the school list."

A loud, cheerful voice put a quick end to any conversation. "Now, now, my good man! I just want to make sure that everything is prepared for Wednesday. The Daily Prophet is scheduled to come and I want to make sure they can catch my good side!"

Everyone's eyes fell upon a man with dazzlingly white teeth and wavy, perfectly placed hair sticking out from his pointed wizard's hat. His ornate, mauve robes made him looked like a fluffy peacock ready to display his feathers to the world. The wizard behind the counter looked like he wanted nothing more than to curse the man but was using every ounce of strength he had to restrain himself.

"Mr. Lockhart," the wizard behind the counter said tensely. "I assure you that your book signing will transpire without a hitch. We have handled plenty in the past to know what works and what does not."

Hayden shared a shocked look with Orion and Neville. "Lockhart?" Hayden whispered. "That's him?"

As if on cue, Lockhart and the wizard behind the counter shifted their attention to those standing at the door. Both their eyes widened slightly until Lockhart spoke up. "It can't be Hayden Potter?" he asked as he took a step forward.

Hayden shied back slightly as he glanced nervously at Orion who took the hint and discretely nudged Neville to be ready for anything. As if knowing what the boys were thinking, hands rested on their shoulders. Gentle squeezes were all it took for Orion to know that Remus was standing behind him and Hayden while Mr. Longbottom stood behind Neville.

"Gilderoy," Remus said politely with a nod. "If you'll excuse us, we have some school books to pick up."

Lockhart flashed a bright smile. "Of course, of course," he said cheerfully. "As you can see—" he motioned over to the large display of books all showing Lockhart's smiling picture on the cover—"all of my books just arrived." He shot Hayden an exaggerated wink. "I'll have you know, Hayden, from one celebrity to another that I truly understand the pressure to appease the public so I think you should be the first to know that I will be joining you this year at Hogwarts—"

Dread suddenly filled Orion. He could not mean…

"—as your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

He did. It was only with extreme effort that Orion withheld a groan. He was already sick of the man. How was he supposed to spend and entire year of classes with him and still maintain his sanity? _Professor Dumbledore must be out of his mind_.

"Is that so?" Mr. Longbottom said dryly. "Well, then I hope you have your lessons planned. The boys have already started basic defense spells under the tutelage of Sirius Black and are eager to continue their studies."

Lockhart's eyes widened. "Sirius Black?" he asked intrigued. Well, I suppose hiring Aurors to train the-boy-who-lived—"

"—my dad wasn't hired to do anything," Orion interrupted defensively as his hands clenched into fists. There was a lot more he wanted to say but the quick squeeze Remus gave his shoulder silenced him. No matter what Orion's personal opinion of Lockhart was, it wouldn't bode well to be on the bad side of a teacher before school even began.

"You should refrain from speaking of matters you know nothing of, Gilderoy," Remus said calmly. "It's bound to get you into trouble one day." He ushered Orion and Hayden towards the display of books. "Excuse us."

The tension in the air was nearly visible as they picked up their books. Orion and Neville stuck to Hayden like spellotape, especially when they noticed Lockhart edging towards him. Remus and Mr. Longbottom were never too far away while Mrs. Potter followed Rose around the store. Eventually, Remus had picked out three sets of books that, in his opinion, would help the boys out as well as a few history books for Rose. Everyone seemed to be relieved when Lockhart finally left but Orion knew that what happened today was only the beginning. Once at Hogwarts, there would be no parents to keep Lockhart away from Hayden.

By the time they were ready to purchase their books, Sirius, Mrs. Longbottom and Mr. Potter had arrived with gold out of their vaults. It was almost funny to see Remus, Mr. Longbottom and Mrs. Potter fill the newcomers in on Lockhart. Sirius looked like he was about to be ill, Mrs. Longbottom simply let out a long sigh and Mr. Potter rather angry as he glanced around the store for any sign of Lockhart.

As the purchases were being made, Orion, Neville and Hayden gratefully stepped out of the store for a breath of fresh air. There weren't many people at Diagon Alley which was surprising but a welcomed surprise. The last thing they needed was to be mobbed by someone pointing out that the-boy-who-lived was present.

"So, that was Lockhart," Hayden said softly. "A bit full of himself, isn't he?"

"A bit?" Neville asked incredulously. "That's a bit of an understatement, don't you think?"

"Boys," Mr. Longbottom scolded slightly as he joined them outside. "Try to keep your comments to yourselves. Gilderoy Lockhart is rather popular at the moment. Speaking ill of him could get you in trouble."

Orion snorted. It wasn't their fault that the public was blind to the obvious. There was no possible way that anyone could have actually experienced everything Lockhart had written about and still parade around without a care in the world. Magical creatures rarely let any human escape completely unscathed.

Remus was the next to step outside followed by Mrs. Potter, grasping his arms. "Remus, thank you for standing up for Hayden," she said softly. "I have a feeling Lockhart wouldn't have left him alone otherwise."

Remus met her gaze before nodding briefly. "It's easy to get caught up in the attention, isn't it?" he asked casually.

Mrs. Potter flinched. "I never liked the attention, Remus," she said pleadingly. "You know that. I would have rather been home with Rose…and Harry."

The last part had been said so softly that Orion couldn't be sure he had heard correctly until he caught Hayden's attentive stare. This was certainly one of those situations where it was necessary listen intently without appearing like you could hear anything. It was a difficult skill to master, especially when you were surrounded by suspicious adults.

"But you went along with everything regardless, Lily," Remus countered. "That had led us to where we are today. We're not the same people we were years ago. We can't ignore the years of pain you caused us just because you've finally woken up and realized you were in the wrong."

"Sometimes," Mr. Longbottom jumped in with a hint of finality to his tone, "wounds can't be mended, Lily, no matter how hard you try. Sirius and Remus have expressed their views on the matter. Now you need to accept their decisions."

Mrs. Potter looked positively broken before nodding and turning away. No one said another word until Sirius, Mrs. Longbottom, Mr. Potter, and Rose stepped out of the store. Surprisingly, Hayden was the one who spoke up, telling Orion and Neville that he would see them on the train. Mr. and Mrs. Potter stood off to the side as Hayden and Rose thanked Sirius, Remus and Orion for the fun filled days and assured them that they would start on the books Remus picked out for them right away.

As they split up, Orion could feel the tension vanishing with the Potters. Strolling down the winding, cobbled street, all Orion could think about was how complicated everything was becoming. Hayden and Rose obviously liked spending time at Black Manor and Sirius and Remus enjoyed having them. The unresolved issues between the parents, however, would make any sort of visitation extremely uncomfortable. Regardless of who was in the wrong, Mr. and Mrs. Potter were still Hayden and Rose's parents. They would have to go home at the end of the day and hide a part of their lives.

It wasn't fair but Orion honestly couldn't think of any way to make it any easier.

It didn't take much time for Orion and Neville to pick up some new robes, a new supply of ink and parchment along with the necessary materials to replenish their potion kits. Sirius had spent some time in Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop only to leave with his money bag significantly lighter and a large grin on his face. Orion and Remus immediately shared a worried look. They knew that grin. That grin normally meant trouble for them the next time Sirius wanted to have a prank war.

Thankfully, Mrs. Longbottom jumped in and suggested eating out for dinner which would delay the war for quite a few days since Sirius was scheduled to return to work early the following morning. It was an innocent enough invitation until Orion caught the knowing smile she shot his way after Sirius turned away. It seemed that Mrs. Longbottom had a bit of prankster in herself too. Who knew?

Dinner that night was a little awkward to say the least. Throughout the meal, the 'adults' talked quietly amongst themselves leaving Orion and Neville to try to appear that they weren't trying to listen in while having their own conversation. Orion thought he picked up stray words like 'tempted', 'unprepared' and 'stubborn' which wasn't surprising considering what had happened earlier in the day. It was obvious that spending even the smallest amount of time with Mr. and Mrs. Potter had affected Sirius more than what he had allowed people to see.

"Dad?" Orion asked quietly, shifting uneasily as everyone's eyes rested on him. "If I ask you a question will you answer me honestly?"

Sirius frowned slightly. "I won't ever lie to you, Ori," he said seriously. "You know that."

Orion inhaled deeply, gathering what courage he could grasp. "What did the Potters do that hurt you so badly?" he asked nervously.

Sirius' gaze fell as Mrs. Longbottom reached out and grasped Sirius' hand. "It's complicated, son," he said softly as he met Orion's intense green eyes. "Before I adopted you, there was an accident and James reacted badly. He said some really hateful things without letting me try to defend myself. Then, when I—" his gaze shifted to Remus before returning to Orion "—when we needed them the most, they abandoned us and cut off all contact with us. We would have been lost if it hadn't been for Frank and Alice."

"I think you give us too much credit, Sirius," Mr. Longbottom spoke up.

Sirius snorted. "What did I know about being a father?" he asked bluntly.

"You knew that what a child needs more than anything else is the love of a parent," Mrs. Longbottom answered. "Do you really think that any of us know what we're doing? We're just making it up as we go."

"Well that's reassuring," Neville muttered earning chuckles from mostly everyone. "That's just what I want to hear. I'm one big experiment."

"At least you have an excuse for those sessions with the Mind Healer that you will undoubtedly get in the future," Mr. Longbottom muttered.

"WHAT?" Neville cried earning looks from those eating nearby and an elbow in the side from Orion. He winced and looked at his parents apologetically. "Sorry, but what do you mean 'Mind Healer'?"

A sly grin appeared on Sirius' face. "Its common practice—or at least it was when I was a child—for pureblood families to send their first born to a Mind Healer when they enter their teenage years to ensure the child is stable enough to take over as head of the family. My parents never sent me and—well—they knew I was a loss when I was sorted into Gryffindor."

"Sirius, you're not helping," Mrs. Longbottom scolded. "We're not sending you to a Mind Healer, Neville. Certain pureblood families started the tradition when complications arose from unions of purebloods who were a little too closely related. You see, since all pureblood families are—in some way—related, the challenge is to find the most distantly related match to continue the pureblood status."

"Do I have to marry a pureblood?" Neville asked nervously.

Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom shared a knowing smile. "No, Neville," Mr. Longbottom answered. "You can marry whoever your heart desires."

Neville's shoulders sagged in relief. Orion cast a curious glance at his father only to receive a raised eyebrow in return. He wasn't stupid. He knew that the entire pureblood discussion was nothing more than a distraction but it had been completely unnecessary. He had heard enough. He now truly understood why his father acted the way he did around Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Betrayal and abandonment were certainly good reasons. Perhaps Mr. Longbottom had a point. Some wounds just couldn't be healed.


	4. Old Friends, Missing Faces

Chapter 4

Old Friends, Missing Faces

The remainder of the summer holidays certainly passed with considerably less tension which was a good thing but there was also a hole that no one had noticed until there had been more than one child running through the Manor. Neville still visited often, letters arrived from Hayden, Cedric and Hermione but it still wasn't the same. With Sirius working extremely long hours, Remus and Orion were normally left to their own devices to fill the long days.

In one of Hayden's letters, Orion had learned that Mr. and Mrs. Potter had relaxed slightly, allowing Hayden and Rose to spend a few days at The Burrow, the home of the Weasley family. He would be traveling with them to Platform nine and three quarters on September first and had mentioned that he missed their dueling lessons. Apparently, Ron wasn't interested in practicing spells.

When the morning of September first arrived, Orion found himself running around Black Manor, searching for anything he may have misplaced. Sirius had grudgingly left for work only an hour ago after he had sat down with Orion and stated bluntly that he didn't want a repeat of last year. To prevent being kept in the dark, Sirius had given Orion a small, square mirror that had been charmed to allow the user to communicate with whoever had the other. All Orion had to do was look into the mirror and say his father's or Remus' name for whoever had the mirror to know he needed them.

Orion had just managed to find his final book when Remus' voice echoed through the Manor. "ORION BLACK! YOUR TIME IS UP! CEDRIC AND NEVILLE ARE HERE SO PACK UP! WHATEVER YOU FORGET, WE CAN SEND YOU!"

Tossing the book in his trunk, Orion quickly locked it, magically shrunk it, pocketed it, grabbed Hedwig's empty cage, and rushed out of his room. He could hear laughter as he hurried down the stairs and skidded into the living room where he saw Remus, Mr. Longbottom, Neville and Cedric standing by the fireplace with Hedwig perched on the mantle. From the way Mr. Longbottom was leaning on his cane, Orion knew that today was one of Mr. Longbottom's 'hard days' which explained why Remus wanted to leave nearly two hours before the train was due to depart.

It had taken more time than Orion would have liked to coax Hedwig into her cage and when she had entered, Orion had caught a look that clearly told him he would certainly pay for it later. Hedwig had certainly been spoiled over summer holidays. She had been allowed to go wherever she wanted whenever she wanted, vanishing for days at a time to hunt in the middle of London. Remarkably, she had always shown up when Orion had needed her to deliver a letter and had returned a little disgruntled after visiting Hayden but Orion had assumed it had been something with the wards around the house that Hedwig had to pass through until he had heard about Dobby.

He could only imagine the fight Hedwig had put up trying to protect the letter she had been carrying.

The walk to King's Cross Station had been slow but it was a pleasant early fall day so no one really minded. Remus was in the final stages of recovering from another full moon so he enjoyed the slow pace almost as much as Mr. Longbottom. Neville and Cedric were locked in an intense conversation about basic dueling spells, especially the spells Neville had learned from Sirius.

"I can't believe Sirius actually taught you dueling," Cedric said in awe. "Why didn't you call me?"

"Because you were already in France at the time," Orion pointed out. "I doubt your parents would have let you come back to practice a few spells."

Cedric shook his head stubbornly. "I would have found a way. You can never have too much practice on the fundamentals. Dad knows that. How did the-boy-who-lived do?"

Orion and Neville shared a worried look. They knew that Cedric wasn't fond of Ron after last year but Hayden had never been mentioned. "He did fine," Orion said carefully. "What's your problem with Hayden?"

Cedric let out a sigh. "It's not really a problem I guess," he said in a resigned voice. "I just don't like how much he's taken from you, Ori, just because he's a celebrity." At Orion's confused look, Cedric continued. "He took your position on the Quidditch team—"

"—that wasn't his fault," Orion interjected. "Professor McGonagall gave him the position—"

"—because no one would protest to it," Cedric said firmly. "Are you going to challenge Potter to it this year now that you're eligible?"

Orion fell silent. He knew that Cedric wouldn't be the only one bringing up the topic. The entire Gryffindor Quidditch Team was aware of Orion's flying abilities. Of course his time in the air had been cut back drastically ever since he entered Hogwarts but he had managed to find opportunities over the summer to pull a few maneuvers that nearly gave his father a heart attack. "If tryouts are held, I'll think about it," Orion said at last. "It would be different if Hayden was a horrible Seeker. He's caught the Snitch every time."

Cedric shook his head stubbornly. "I just don't think it's fair that you get pushed aside for everything because you share a room with a celebrity. It's just not right."

Orion didn't know whether to appreciate Cedric's protectiveness or feel offended by it on Hayden's behalf. It wasn't really _that_ bad. At first glance, it was easy to assume that Hayden was given everything because of his celebrity status but that was actually rather far from the truth. During the few days Hayden had spent at Black Manor, Orion had quickly learned that Hayden was probably one of the most insecure twelve-year-olds that he had ever met.

King's Cross Station was certainly crowded, making everyone glad that their trunks had been shrunk and pocketed. They did receive quite a few looks from Muggles because of Hedwig but that was to be expected. It wasn't common practice among Muggles to even consider an owl as a pet much less walk around with one in a cage without it squawking in protest.

It was nearly a quarter past ten when they reached the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. Cedric didn't hesitate walking forward and vanishing followed by Mr. Longbottom and Neville with Remus and Orion pulling up the rear. Stepping onto Platform nine and three quarters, Orion could only smile at the sight of the scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over the platform. Cedric bid a cheerful goodbye to Remus and Mr. Longbottom before hurrying onto the train, vanishing to the sea of witches and wizards seeing their own children onto the train.

Mr. Longbottom cleared his throat as he rested a hand on Neville's shoulder. "Now, I want you to remember to write your mother, Neville," he said seriously. "You know how she gets. Also, please stay out of trouble this year."

And you," Remus added to Orion. "I know your father most likely mentioned his legacy this morning."

Orion grinned. He had known this was coming. This would be one of those topics that Sirius and Remus always disagreed on. Sirius wanted Orion to pull pranks while Remus was determined to do everything in his power to make Orion the Prefect that he should have been. Personally, Orion sided with Remus. Becoming a Prefect would certainly help if he wanted to become an Auror like his father.

Remus returned the smile. "Right. I guess I should have known better than to even consider that you would take your father seriously. In that case, try to have some fun and try to avoid Death Eaters this year, all right?"

Orion couldn't help rolling his eyes. "I already promised Dad that I would stay out of _that_ kind of trouble, Moony," he said frankly. "Besides, I'm not a fan of nearly dying. Experienced it once and not to eager to try it again."

Remus let out a chuckle as he pulled Orion into an embrace. "That's a relief to hear," he said sincerely. "You take care of yourself and keep a lookout for anything suspicious, especially around Hayden. Whatever threat that house elf tried to warn him about…well…just be careful. I don't think your father could handle it if you were hurt again trying to protect Hayden."

Orion nodded as he wrapped his arms around Remus while taking extra care to avoid the joints and muscles that were still a little sensitive. He knew that the warning had been said for Remus' benefit just as much as Sirius'. Even though both men were as different as night and day sometimes, there were quite a few topics that they actually agreed on. Keeping Orion safe was certainly one of those topics.

After a few more assurances that they would do everything in their power to stay out of trouble, Orion and Neville bade goodbye and hurried onto the train to find an empty compartment which had actually been completely unnecessary. With a half hour still to wait before the eleven o'clock departure, there were still plenty of compartments available. They found a compartment in the middle of the train near Cedric's and immediately jumped into a game of Exploding Snap which was (in Neville's opinion) the only way to safely waste time.

They were halfway through their second game when Hermione found them, her bushy brown hair making her look slightly frazzled. There had been a moment of silence as grins spread across their faces before Hermione started talking…very, very fast about absolutely everything that had happened over the summer holidays. Orion and Neville had to put their game on hold just to catch a word here and there to figure out what in Merlin's name she was talking about.

Apparently, Hermione was comparing living as a Muggle after spending nearly ten months as a witch. Orion and Neville had to take her views on faith since neither of them knew what it was like to live as a Muggle. Orion knew the basics. He knew that Muggles relied on electricity to make many of their every day gadgets work and also knew how to pass off as one since he did live in the middle of London. Remus had instilled as much as he could on Orion but there was still plenty left to the unknown.

Hermione's lecture was called to an abrupt halt by a commotion on the platform. Orion and Neville quickly jumped to their feet and hurried out of their compartment to look out and see a group of red haired individuals huddled near the barrier. There was a loud whistle, signaling the final boarding call. Orion saw a plump woman turn and push three red haired boys and one red haired girl towards the train as guards began walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut. It only took a moment for Orion to recognize the identical faces of Fred and George Weasley among the redheads causing a sea of dread to settle in the pit of his stomach. If that was the Weasley family then where was the tall, gangle form of Ron? Where was shorter, messy black haired form of Hayden?

"Orion," Neville said cautiously. "Didn't you say that Hayden would be coming with the Weasleys?"

Hermione moved from side to side, trying to get a better look. "What's going on with the barrier?" she asked. "It looks like it's blocked."

She was right. As the train began to move, it became clear that those who were trying to leave through the barrier were having difficulty. In front of the mass of people was a tall, balding man with hair as red as his wife's with his wand in the air, waving it at the barrier. A vivid picture suddenly entered his mind. He could see the barrier between platforms nine and ten. He could see a hand resting against it, proving that the wall was indeed solid.

Shaking his head clear, Orion took off towards the back of the train where the Weasley siblings who had made it through the barrier had boarded. It was difficult to miss the overabundance of striking red hair or the worried faces on Percy, Fred, George and the little girl who could only be Ginny.

"Where's Ron and Hayden?" Orion demanded.

Fred and George shared a look. "They didn't make it through," said Fred. "We don't know what happened—"

"—Mum wouldn't tell us," added George. "The barrier has never acted like that before."

That was all Orion needed to turn and hurry back to his compartment with Neville and Hermione jumping out of the way as soon as they saw him coming. Reaching in his pocket, Orion pulled out his trunk, quickly enlarged it and pulled out some parchment, ink, quill, and the small square mirror Sirius had given him. He had never expected that he would need it so soon but it seemed that expecting the unexpected was necessary with Hayden Potter as your friend.

"Ori, what's going on?" Neville asked nervously. "What are you doing?"

Orion shot Neville an impatient look before holding the mirror to eye level. "Sirius Black," he said clearly and waited as his reflection misted over for a moment before clearing to reveal his father's concerned face.

"Ori, what's wrong?" Sirius demanded frantically. "Has something happened?"

Orion let a relieved breath. "Dad, there's a problem at Platform nine and three quarters," he said as calmly as he could manage. "I don't know how it happened but the barrier sealed up before eleven o'clock. Hayden and Ron are stuck on the other side. I don't think it was a coincidence."

Sirius frowned. "You think it's that house elf again," he said thoughtfully then nodded. "All right, I'll check it out. If I find them I'll get them to Hogwarts myself. If I don't, I'll arrange a search for them." At Orion's worried face, Sirius smiled proudly. "You did the right thing, son. Try not to worry about it, all right?"

Orion nodded although he had a feeling that he would most likely be worrying for the entire ride to the Hogsmeade Station. "Thanks, Dad," he said sincerely and watched as Sirius' image vanished into mist before his reflection reappeared. Setting the mirror aside, Orion grabbed the quill, dipped it into the ink and started writing on the parchment.

_Grandad_

_Hayden and Ron missed the train because something happened to the barrier. Dad's looking for them but I thought you should know in case they show up. I think it may have something to do with the trouble Hayden had earlier this summer. If you don't know what I'm talking about, ask Hayden when you see him._

_Ori_

Turning towards Hedwig's cage, Orion was surprised to see Hedwig perched on the top of the cage with her leg out, waiting for him to attach the letter while Neville slowly stroked her bright white feathers. His hands felt extremely shaky as he rolled up the parchment and tied it to Hedwig's leg but he managed the task nonetheless.

Offering his arm, Orion waited only a fraction of a second before Hedwig jumped on and looked into his emerald orbs. "Now Hedwig, this is very important," he said seriously as he walked over to the window. "Please take this to Professor Dumbledore as fast as you can. If you can't find him then go to Professor McGonagall. Once you're done, you can join the other owls in the Owlery until tomorrow morning. I'll make sure to safe a few strips of bacon for you, all right?"

Hedwig nipped Orion's ear affectionately as Orion slid the window open. A burst of wind entered the compartment as Hedwig jumped out the window and took flight, quickly vanishing from sight. Closing the window, Orion rested his forehead against the cool glass as he tried to push all of the madness out of his mind. It was insane! The school year hadn't even started yet and already there was trouble. _I have a feeling it's going to be a very long ten months._

It was Hermione's voice that abruptly snapped Orion out of his thoughts. "Will someone tell me what in the world is going on here?" she asked irritably.

It had taken some time to explain everything to Hermione especially since she had never heard of a house elf. She had been more outraged to hear of the presence of slavery in the wizarding world than the possible danger Hayden could be in. Orion and Neville thought Hermione's priorities were slightly skewed but they really didn't want to get into a fight over traditions that had been present for hundreds of years. It was getting better. There were families like the Blacks and Longbottoms who treated their house elves as well as the elves would allow. The biggest problem was that change took time. It would probably be decades at the very least until house elves would accept anything more without thinking that they were doing something wrong.

The train ride seemed to take so much longer than last year. No matter what Orion tried, his thoughts always seemed to shift back to Hayden and Ron. Exploding Snap didn't work, reading didn't work, visiting with classmates didn't work, and Hermione's stubborn protests seemed to be extremely irritating as the day wore on. Therefore, it really wasn't surprising that it finally became too much.

"Hermione!" Orion yelled in outrage. "The wizarding world isn't perfect just like the Muggle world isn't perfect! You've only been a part of this world for a year so I highly doubt you actually know what it's been like trying to repair the destruction that Voldemort and his followers caused!"

At Hermione's distraught gaze, Orion bit his tongue, enfolded his arms across his chest and glared out the window. For Orion, criticizing the wizarding world was like criticizing all of the hard work his father had done over the years. Yes, the wizarding world was far from perfect. He saw the imperfections every day because of his Uncle Remus. After all, who wanted to take a risk in hiring something as dark and dangerous as a werewolf?

"You should really meet a house elf before you criticize, Hermione," Neville added softly. "I know it sounds cruel but they really like to work for people when they're treated well. They don't want to change so it will be a while before the change can happen. You can't force change on anyone and expect them to like it."

Hermione stared at Neville thoughtfully before nodding. Once again Neville had managed to make the largest impact with the least amount of effort. Orion knew that it was wrong to take his worry and frustration out on Hermione. She had always had an overabundance of views of how things should be but the problem was that reality rarely measured up to her expectations.

As darkness began to fall, Orion, Neville and Hermione took that as the sign to put on their robes. Mountains and forests streamed past even though it did seem like the train was slowing down already. When the voice announcing that they were only five minutes away echoed throughout the train, Orion let out a brief sigh as his gaze shifted to Hermione. She looked extremely uncomfortable as she tried to look everywhere except for where Orion was. Orion had never felt like a bigger prat in his entire life.

"Hermione," Orion said softly, earning a nervous glance from Hermione. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just that you didn't see what Hayden and Rose went through when that house elf appeared in Hayden's bedroom. You didn't see what my dad went through just to keep him safe. The Head of the Auror Office himself ordered Hayden to be removed from his own home. That doesn't happen unless the danger is real."

Hermione smiled sympathetically. "I know you're worried, Ori, but overreacting doesn't help anyone," she said reasonably. "Besides, you told your dad and we know he would do anything for you. He took on You-Know-Who a few months ago so I think finding Hayden and Ron won't be a problem."

"Hermione has a point," Neville added as he stepped out of the compartment and into crowd thronging the corridor. "Your dad isn't like most Dads. I don't know many who would believe an eleven-year-old telling them that You-Know-Who is at Hogwarts without any proof."

Orion rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he followed Neville. "I guess I never gave it much thought," he said honestly as Hermione stepped out of the compartment. "It's always been that way between us. When I was younger Remus told me the story of the boy who called wolf and I sort of took it too seriously. I stopped calling out for Dad when I had nightmares because I believed that he would eventually stop coming. Dad sat me down and told me that he would always come when I needed him as long as I was honest with him, no matter what."

The train finally came to a stop and the pushing immediately began. Orion, Neville and Hermione managed to stay together and follow Cedric along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where a long line of stagecoaches that appeared to be pulled by invisible horses awaited them. However, Orion had a strong feeling he was wrong by the frightened gasp that came from Neville. The pushing continued, forcing them to climb into one of the first available coaches only to be joined by Fred and George Weasley.

As the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying slightly as they moved, Orion noticed the stench of mold and straw which wasn't surprising considering how old the carriages had to be. In fact, they were in rather good condition all things considered.

As the carriage slowly passed a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Fred broke the silence. "So, did you contact someone, Orion?" he asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Orion nodded. "I contacted my dad and sent Hedwig with a letter to Professor Dumbledore. If Dad missed them then Professor Dumbledore's expecting them."

Fred and George looked relieved. "Thanks Ori," said George as the carriage picked up speed on the long, sloping drive up to the castle. "We really appreciate it—"

"—Percy wouldn't let us borrow his owl—"

"—stupid prat. Cared more about getting to the Prefect meeting than his own brother."

"I doubt that's true," Hermione countered instantly . "Maybe he was just trying to be strong so you two wouldn't worry."

Fred and George shared a look. "Nah," said Fred. "He wouldn't care about us but Ginny—she's our sister starting Hogwarts this year—he would have done it for her. He's always tried to look out for her—"

"—must think she isn't a lost cause like us," added George.

At last, the carriage swayed to a halt allowing them to get out of the carriage one by one. Orion, Neville and Hermione wasted no time hurrying up the steps, through the giant oak front doors and into the cavernous Entrance Hall lit with flaming torches that contained the magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors. The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right, almost beckoning students to enter.

Stepping into the Great Hall, Orion's eyes immediately shifted to the enchanted ceiling that displayed the starlit night outside. Thousands of lit candles hovered in midair over four long tables that were only starting to fill with students. To Orion's disappointment, he noticed that Hayden and Ron were nowhere to be seen.

"Where do you think they are?" Neville asked quietly.

Neither Orion nor Hermione had an answer for him. Where could they be? Surely they had been found by now, right? Perhaps they were simply being detained for questioning. That was plausible when the events from earlier in the summer were taken into consideration. A possible second attempt on the-boy-who-lived would send the Ministry into panic…that is if it was a second attempt. Orion didn't believe in coincidence but he knew better than to make assumptions. When assumptions were made, mistakes normally followed.

As they moved to the Gryffindor table and sat down, Orion glanced at the Head Table and immediately met the gaze of the silver bearded and half-moon spectacled Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, who gave Orion the briefest of nods. It wasn't much but it was enough for Orion to know that the situation was being taken care of. However, that didn't ease the countless questions that were bouncing around in Orion's head. Unfortunately, Professor Dumbledore wasn't like Sirius. Dumbledore didn't believe in being bluntly honest until it was absolutely necessary.

To make Orion feel worse, Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in robes of aquamarine, was seated several seats away from Professor Dumbledore. It made Orion feel sick to watch as Lockhart smiled widely to show off his pearly white teeth and wave at those students who were obviously staring at him. Sirius had told him long ago that those who gloat about their accomplishments most likely didn't do them for the right reasons. Orion could only think that Gilderoy Lockhart was walking proof of that statement. He wasn't at Hogwarts to help anyone but himself.

All chatter ceased as Professor McGonagall could be seen leading a long line of scared-looking first years towards the Head Table. Ginny was easy to pick out with her vivid Weasley hair. Orion couldn't help smiling as Fred and George attempted to get their sister's attention in a rather loud manner and succeeded in making her flush scarlet. He had to admit, despite how extreme the twins were from time to time, they were good older brothers when it mattered the most.

As Professor McGonagall placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat, Orion suddenly got the feeling that he was being watched. As discretely as possible, Orion glanced over his right shoulder and then his left. Everyone's attention was on Professor McGonagall but the sensation remained. His gaze finally shifted towards the door where, to his amazement, he saw Hayden and Ron.

They had made it and they appeared to be fine.

It didn't take long for hazel to meet emerald green. Hayden's nervous stance shifted to relief as he waved but the relief was short lived. At first, it seemed that the shadows behind Hayden and Ron were merely shifting until a tall figure stepped into the light and rested his hands on Hayden and Ron's shoulders. Both boys jumped and quickly turned to meet the stern gaze of Sirius Black. Before Hayden and Ron could say anything, Sirius ushered them out of sight but not before glancing into the Great Hall and nodding at Orion.

Applause broke out around him, pulling Orion's attention back towards the Head Table. A small blond boy had just been sorted into Gryffindor. Orion took the opportunity to nudge Neville and passed on what he saw. Neville then passed the information onto Hermione who took the opportunity to look around for any sight of them. Unfortunately, neither Hayden nor Ron came back.

Ginny being sorted into Gryffindor was the only memorable moment other than Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall leaving after the feast started. Whispers had immediately broken out but no one dared to ask any of the remaining staff members present. After all, it wasn't like Professor Snape would willingly tell them anything other than what a bunch of dunderheads they all were.

Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall returned to the feast half an hour later, giving them plenty of time to eat their meal before Dumbledore rose to his feet for the beginning of the term notices. When he introduced Lockhart as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Orion couldn't help noticing that the girls seemed to be clapping significantly harder than the boys. Lockhart, of course, cheerfully waves to every table before taking extra care to sit back down without damaging his robes or his hair.

After the reminders to stay out of the Forbidden Forest, that magic was forbidden in the corridors and Quidditch tryouts would be held within the next few weeks for the teams looking for players, everyone was sent off to their houses for the night. Hermione hurried ahead to get the password from Percy Weasley which happened to be 'wattlebird'. As they slowly made their way towards the Gryffindor Tower, whispers and comments were heard pertaining to a flying car, two second year students and the Whomping Willow tree that was known for striking back at anything that got too close.

Orion, Neville and Hermione shared a concerned glance. Flying a muggle transportation vehicle to Hogwarts seemed too impossible and yet rather mild to the other stories they heard as they got closer to the Gryffindor Tower. Before long, everyone came to the conclusion that Hayden and Ron were somehow involved and that they had been expelled. Orion knew that was ridiculous. Professor Dumbledore would never expel Hayden Potter.

They reached the passage where the secret entrance to Gryffindor Tower was hidden entrance to the Gryffindor tower was hidden behind an oil painting of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress when a loud voice called out, "Orion! Neville! Hermione!"

Orion spun around on the spot to see Hayden and Ron hurrying towards them looking tired but relived.

"There you are!" Hermione began immediately. "Where have you been? The most ridiculous rumors are going around. Someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying car!"

Hayden and Ron flinched slightly as they came to a halt. "We haven't been expelled," Hayden assured her. "We have detention and we were lectured by Sirius, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall already _and_ Sirius said he would have to tell my parents. Mum'll be furious."

"_Your_ Mum will be furious?" Ron asked incredulously. "I wouldn't be surprised if my mum sends me a Howler. That car belonged to my dad. He works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

"Wait a minute," Neville said in confusion. "Your dad works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office but he owns a _flying_ car?"

Ron shrugged. "Dad's odd that way," he answered. "He loves Muggles. He thinks they're fascinating."

Orion enfolded his hands across his chest as he stared at Hayden and Ron. It had really been a foolish thing for them to do but he knew they had probably received enough of a scolding already. "Are you two all right?" he asked evenly.

Hayden and Ron nodded.

"Then I suppose we should be grateful," Orion said, ignoring Hermione's protest. "It could have been worse, a lot worse. I don't think either of you realize just how dangerous the Whomping Willow is. My dad and uncle have told me stories about that thing. It's not a tree you want to mess with."

Hayden and Ron nodded in agreement. Hermione still looked like she wanted to lecture but followed Orion's lead into the Gryffindor Tower. The moment Hayden and Ron stepped into the Common Room, applause broke out around them. Orion took that opportunity to retreat to his dormitory with Neville which now had a sign on it saying SECOND YEARS.

As they entered the familiar, circular room, with its six four-posters hung with red velvet and its high, narrow windows, Orion could hear the Weasley twins loudly congratulating Hayden and Ron. Deep down, Orion knew that it was wrong for everyone to congratulate Hayden and Ron for the worry that they caused but, once again, it was probably something Hayden and Ron needed.

"What a day," Neville said tiredly as he moved towards his trunk that had been placed at the end of his bed.

Orion had to agree.


	5. Gilderoy Lockhart

Chapter 5

Gilderoy Lockhart

The following morning seemed to come too soon for many of the students at Hogwarts. It had taken Orion nearly a quarter of an hour to get Neville, Hayden and Ron out of bed to join the rest of the Gryffindor second years for breakfast in the Great Hall. The four long house tables were laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon. The enchanted ceiling displayed the dull and cloudy gray sky that seemed to taunt them all as to what their day would bring.

It wasn't a surprise to see Hermione seated as far from Hayden and Ron as possible while still remaining close enough to insert her opinion if necessary. Her attention was focused on her copy of Voyages with Vampires that was propped open against a milk jug. There was an obvious agitation in the way she turned the page, making it clear that she was still disapproving in the way Hayden and Ron had arrived.

Orion had just started filling his plate with food when there was a rushing sound above them as a hundred or so owls streamed into the Great Hall. Everyone's eyes shifted towards the ceiling as the owls circled the hall, dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. Orion immediately signaled out Hedwig who landed beside his plate, her chest proudly puffed out. He wasted no time breaking off pieces of bacon and feeding them to her while a large brown owl landed in front of Hayden.

"Oh no!" Hayden exclaimed in horror.

Orion looked up and noticed the red envelope held in the owl's beak. Apparently, Mrs. Potter was angrier than Hayden or Ron expected her to be. Parents knew that Howlers were extremely embarrassing for those who received them. The teasing could last for weeks.

"You better open it, Hayden," Neville said quietly. "It'll be worse if you don't."

Hayden nodded as he shakily pulled the envelope out of the owl's beak and slit it open. A moment later, Mrs. Potter's amplified voice echoed throughout the hall.

"HAYDEN POTTER! WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE YOU THINKING? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WERE GOING THROUGH WHILE YOU WERE GALLIVANTING OVER THE COUNTRY-SIDE IN A FLYING CAR?!?!"

Plates and spoons rattled on the table. Hayden quickly sank low in his chair to avoid the stares that were coming from all directions.

"YOUR RECKLESSNESS COST SIRIUS AN ENTIRE DAY AT WORK, NOT TO MENTION THE HOURS AFTERWARDS HE HAD TO SPEND FILING THE REPORT!! YOU BETTER SEND HIM A WELL WRITTEN APOLOGY OR I WILL COME THERE MYSELF!!"

Hayden glanced at Orion helplessly as dust shook from the ceiling.

"I BETTER NOT HEAR OF ANY MORE TROUBLE FROM YOU OR YOU WILL BE BROUGHT HOME! THAT IS A PROMISE!!!"

A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which lay on Hayden's plate, burst into flames and curled into ashes. Hayden refused to move until something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers. Ron instantly paled as everyone around him groaned. In the bedraggled owl's beak was another Howler. Orion immediately stuffed his fingers in his ears. _Here we go again. _

Ron's Howler hadn't been any worse than Hayden's but it had left both of them sitting extremely low in their chairs for the remainder of breakfast. Thankfully, Professor McGonagall arrived as soon as Ron's Howler disintegrated with the course schedules. A quick look told them they had double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs first so they thankfully left the crowded Great Hall with Orion, Neville and Hermione to get their books.

Not a word was said to and from Gryffindor Tower. Hayden and Ron appeared to be trying to make themselves be as small as possible which was difficult considering how tall Ron was. Orion and Neville led the way out of the castle, across the vegetable patch and towards the greenhouses where the magical plants were kept. In the distance, Orion noticed that several branches of the Whomping Willow were now in slings. They reached the rest of the waiting class just as Professor Sprout came striding into view across the lawn with Gilderoy Lockhart at her heels.

Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, having obviously just come from tending to the Whomping Willow. She was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair. Lockhart, on the other hand, was immaculate in sweeping robes of turquoise, his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat with gold trimming.

Lockhart flashed his pearly white teeth at the awaiting students. "Oh, hello there!" he called. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels…"

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said a disgruntled Professor Sprout.

There was a murmur of interest, having only ever worked in greenhouse one before. Greenhouse three housed far more interesting plants. Neville was nearly bouncing on his feet in excitement as Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. There was a distinct aroma of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrella-sized flowers dangling from the ceiling. One by one, they entered the greenhouse only to come to an abrupt halt when Lockhart moved to block Hayden.

"Hayden! I've been wanting a word," Lockhart said cheerfully. "You don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout?"

Orion scowled as he grabbed Hayden by the arm and pushed him into the greenhouse. "We have class, Professor," he said stiffly. "Maybe later."

Professor Sprout beamed while Lockhart looked disappointed for only a moment before saying something about busy schedules and striding off. Hayden shot Orion a grateful smile as they picked a spot along a trestle bench in the center of the greenhouse. They waited as Professor Sprout took her place behind the trestle bench, a cheerful smile now on her face. If Orion didn't know any better, he would think that Professor Sprout didn't like Lockhart either.

"Welcome back, second years," Professor Sprout said as all chatter died away. "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"

Hermione, Orion and Neville each raised a hand in the air. Professor Sprout pointed at Neville.

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, has powerful healing capabilities" said Neville as his cheeks flushed pink. "It's more common use of to return people who have been cursed to their original state."

"Excellent," Professor Sprout said proudly. "Ten points to Gryffindor. The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"

Once again, Hermione, Orion and Neville raised their hands. This time, however, Professor Sprout pointed at Orion.

"The cry of a mature Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," Orion answered promptly. "Seedling Mandrakes have been known to knock people out for at least a few hours."

"Very good, Mr. Black," said Professor Sprout. "Ten more points for Gryffindor. Now, our Mandrakes are still seedlings so, as Mr. Black said, we don't have to worry about them killing us yet but they will indeed knock you out." She pointed to a row of deep trays containing a hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in color, growing in rows. "Everyone, take a pair of earmuffs."

Everyone scrambled to grab a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy.

"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," Professor Sprout continued. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right, earmuffs on."

At once, everyone snapped the earmuffs over their ears only to be trapped in silence. They followed Professor Sprout's example by grasping one of the tufty plants firmly and pulling hard. Instead of roots, a small muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs. Once again they followed Professor Sprout's example, pulling a large plat pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. She then looked around and waited until everyone was finished them motioned for them to repeat the process.

They were forced to split up into groups of four for each tray leaving Hayden, Ron and Hermione to join Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Muggle-born in Hufflepuff, while Orion and Neville joined Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones. With the earmuffs on there wasn't much of a chance to talk about anything so they just dived in and worked to finish their tray as quickly and thoroughly as possible. By the end of class, everyone was sweaty, aching and covered in earth. Orion and Hermione cast a few cleaning charms but they still needed a quick wash before hurrying to Transfiguration.

Professor McGonagall's classes were normally demanding and today was no different. Their assignment was to turn a beetle into a button, something that Orion and Hermione managed to accomplish. Hayden, Neville and Ron, however, weren't as successful. Ron had broken his wand when they had crashed into the Whomping Willow and resorted to patching it up with some borrowed Spellotape. It was a big mistake to even consider using a broken wand but Ron insisted that he had no other option.

As predicted, Ron's wand didn't work as commanded making Ron extremely frustrated by the time the lunch bell rang. It was with extreme caution that they made their way to the Great Hall since Ron was still waving his wand around, hoping for something to come out of it.

"Stupid—useless—thing—"

"Write home for a new one," Orion suggested as the wand let off a volley of bangs like a firecracker.

"Oh, yeah, and get another Howler back," said Ron as he stuffed his now hissing wand into his bag.

"Better a Howler than hurting someone," Neville offered. "A broken wand is dangerous, Ron. Casting the wrong spell could backfire on you. She may be upset at first but at least you and us would be safe."

Ron grumbled to himself as they entered the Great Hall. Orion and Neville wisely decided to let the subject drop. They gave Ron their opinion. It was now up to him to act on it.

"What've we got this afternoon?" asked Hayden curiously.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione at once as she pulled out her schedule.

Ron glanced at her schedule for a split second before seizing it. "Why have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?"

Hermione snatched the schedule back, blushing furiously while Hayden, Orion and Neville groaned. "Not you too, Hermione," Orion pleaded only to earn a nasty glare in return.

After lunch, they ventured outside into the overcast courtyard. Hermione sat down on a stone step and buried her nose into Voyages with Vampires again while Orion, Hayden and Neville quietly talked about a few basic dueling spells. Ron had returned in attempting to make his wand work and was once again becoming frustrated by the lack of progress. Orion was just about to begin on simple jinxes when he had the feeling that they were being watched. Turning around, Orion came face to face with a very small, mousy-haired boy that had been sorted into Gryffindor the night before. He was clutching an older model camera, staring at Orion nervously.

"H—hello," the boy said breathlessly. "I-I'm Colin Creevey. I was hoping—would it be all right if—can I have a picture of Hayden?"

Orion glanced over his shoulder at Hayden whose face was nearly scarlet in embarrassment. Ron and Neville were no help either. They just stared at Colin as if he were the strangest thing they had ever seen. Orion stared at Hayden and jerked his head towards Colin, clearly telling him to say something but Hayden obviously didn't know what to say.

"It's so I can prove I've met you," Colin continued eagerly as he raised his camera slightly. "I know all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and a boy in my dormitory said if I developed the film in the right potion, the pictures'll move. It's amazing here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad's a milkman, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him. And it'd be really good if I had one of you—"

"—just stop right there," Orion interrupted. "Tell me something, Colin. Would you like someone walking around trying to take your picture on the first day of classes?" Colin frowned slightly in confusion. "Besides, if your father's a Muggle, he doesn't know anything about Hayden or what he's been through."

"But I could tell him in a letter," Colin offered hopefully.

Orion let out a sigh of frustration. "I give up," he muttered then turned to Hayden. "Your turn. Maybe he'll believe you."

Hayden's shoulders slumped as he stepped forward. "Listen Colin, I know whatever you heard may have sounded great and everything but it really isn't anything like that," he said softly. "I eventually lost my brother because of what happened that night so I'd really appreciate it if you didn't bring it up."

Colin lowered his camera, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said shakily. "I—I didn't know—no one told me you had a brother."

There was something in Hayden's stance as he slowly closed his eyes that made him look a lot older than twelve. "Yeah, well, no one really talks about Harry anymore," he admitted.

Hermione was immediately at Hayden's side, rubbing his back in a soothing motion. Colin muttered another 'I'm sorry' before hurrying back into the castle. Orion, Neville and Ron glanced at each other uncertainly. What could be said to make Hayden feel better? None of them had known Harry Potter. No one really did since he was kept out of the public eye after that night.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked gently.

Hayden shook his head. "It's just hard to hear everyone talk like he never existed," he said angrily. "He was my twin, my other half and everyone's forgotten about him!"

"He died seven years ago and he wasn't the-boy-who-lived, mate," Ron pointed out. "Do you think anyone would care if Fred or George had died when they were five?"

It had been insensitive but honest. Compared to Hayden Potter, the-boy-who-lived, why should anyone remember the unimportant twin? Harry Potter's name was only brought up when people talked about how much Hayden had suffered to make the wizarding world a safe place

The bell rang, signaling the start of afternoon classes and putting an end to the conversation. Together, they walked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom where Professor Lockhart was waiting for them. Hayden immediately took a seat at the very back of the class while Ron sat on his right and Orion sat on his left. Neville took the empty seat on Orion's left while Hermione took the open seat in front of them. They waited in silence as the rest of the class clattered in and sat in the remaining seats.

Chatter ceased as Lockhart strolled towards the front of the class and turned to face them with a bright smile on his face. "Me," he said as he picked up a copy of Travels with Trolls and held it up to show his own, winking portrait on the front. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"

Orion bowed his head and turned to Hayden who returned his gaze. As discretely as possible, Orion looked like he was going to be sick, earning a smile from Hayden who was trying not to laugh. If Lockhart really didn't want to talk about something, he wouldn't have mentioned it.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books—well done," Lockhart continued. "I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about—just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in—"

Hayden, Neville and Ron looked extremely nervous as Lockhart handed out the test papers. Orion simply pulled out his quill and ink, waiting for the inevitable. From what he knew about Lockhart, this 'quiz' wasn't going to be anything that required an active brain.

When Lockhart returned to the front of the class, he said, "You have thirty minutes—start—now!"

Orion looked down at his paper and read the first question. _What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color_? He read the second question. _What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition_? As Orion had anticipated, this 'quiz' was nothing more than something one would find in Witch Weekly. Frustrated beyond all measure, Orion set the 'quiz' on fire, pulled a piece of his own parchment and started to write.

Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and shuffled through them in front of the class. "Tut, tut," he said in disappointment, "hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac. I say so in Year with the Yeti. And few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully—I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples—though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogdeds Old Firewhisky!"

Orion rocked back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest waiting—hoping for class to end as soon as possible.

"…but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions—good girl!" Lockhart exclaimed proudly. "In fact, full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?" Hermione raised her hand slowly. "Excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor!" His smile faded slightly as he looked around the class. "And, where is Mr. Orion Black?"

Orion lazily raised his hand halfway before lowering it.

"Tut, tut, Mr. Black," Lockhart said in an almost reproving manner as he held up the parchment that was full of Orion's writing. "What is this?"

"The errors that I found in your books, sir," Orion answered innocently. "I would think your editor would have been more careful. Do you have any idea what some magical creatures do to those who abuse their hospitality?"

Lockhart looked nervous for a second before slamming a fake smile on his face. "Well then, thank you Mr. Black for letting me know," he said appreciatively. "That should be another five points to Gryffindor. And so—to business—" He pulled out a large, covered cage from behind his desk and set it onto of a pile of books. "Now—be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm."

Orion desperately wanted to raise his hand and ask if they would be facing Boggarts which were shape-shifters that take on the form of its intended victim's worst fear but he knew that no Boggart would be put in a cage like that.

"I must ask you not to scream," Lockhart said dramatically. "It might provoke them." No one moved as Lockhart whipped off the cover. "Yes. Freshly caught Cornish pixies!"

Seamus Finnigan let out a snort of laughter followed by Ron and Neville. The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high with pointed faces and voices so shrill that it was like listening to a lot of annoying birds talking to each other. They were jabbering and rocketing around the cage, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them. Everyone raised in a wizarding house knew that Cornish pixies were nothing more than irritating pests that loved to destroy everything they could.

"Now, now," Lockhart scolded. "They might not look like much but they can be devilishly tricky little blighters. So, let's see what you make of them!"

To Orion's horror, Lockhart opened the cage and pandemonium ensued. The pixies shot in every direction like fireworks. Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass. The rest made it their mission to destroy the classroom. As two made their way for Neville, Orion raised his wand and cast the Shield Charm. Both of the pixies bounced off the shield, shook their heads dizzily and took off for another target.

"Come on now—round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted.

Orion's eyes narrowed. Gilderoy Lockhart was an even bigger idiot than he had originally thought. Raising his wand, Orion cast the strongest Freezing Charm he could and sent the ones that were immobilized back into the cage. He repeated the spell three times before all of the pixies were back in the cage. As everyone emerged from their hiding places, their eyes fell on the destruction. The classroom was covered with ink, broken glass and shredded parchment. Slowly, everyone's gazes fell on Lockhart who was coming out of his own hiding place.

Lockhart tried to smile sheepishly but failed at the glares he received.

The bell rang, causing a mad rush toward the exit. Orion took his time repairing his damaged belongings before storming out of the classroom with Neville, Hayden, Ron and Hermione following suit.

"Can you believe him?" Ron asked incredulously.

"He just wants to give us some hands-on experience," Hermione rationalized.

Everyone turned and stared at Hermione as if she had grown another head. "Hands on?" asked Hayden. "Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing! If Orion hadn't—"

"—Orion just beat him to it," Hermione protested. "You've read his books—look at al those amazing things he's done—"

"He says he's done," Neville interrupted. "I'm with Orion. Something's not right."

* * *

Over the next few days, it quickly became obvious that Orion, Neville and Ron needed to become lookouts for Hayden in order to avoid Gilderoy Lockhart and Colin Creevey. Colin hadn't asked for anymore pictures but he seemed determined to speak to Hayden as often as possible. To make matters worse, Ron's wand was also still malfunctioning every time he used it, making everyone around him duck for cover.

Another uncomfortable topic had been Quidditch. Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, had cornered Orion about joining the team. The problem was that there weren't any open spots. As much as Orion loved to fly, he wouldn't have someone kicked off the team because of it. Oliver wasn't happy with Orion's decision and Hayden looked extremely uncomfortable as if the entire situation was his fault. It took quite a bit of reassurance to make Hayden believe otherwise.

Everyone was grateful to see the weekend arrive…well, everyone except the Gryffindor Quidditch team when Oliver woke them up early Saturday morning. Orion had woken to see Hayden stumble out of the room in his scarlet team robes and Nimbus Two Thousand on his shoulder. Knowing that he would never fall back asleep, Orion woke Neville and Ron for an early breakfast and the chance of catching a glimpse of the Quidditch practice.

By the time they had changed and reached the Common Room, Orion was relieved to see Hermione walking down the girl's staircase. He filled her in as they hurried to the Great Hall a grabbed a quick breakfast. They had planned on visiting Hagrid that day so it was decided that they would do so after Quidditch was over so Hayden could join them. That was, if Ron would ever stop eating. After his third helping, Orion and Neville physically pulled him out of the Great Hall while Hermione grabbed a few pieces of toast just in case Hayden was hungry.

The grass was still drenched with dew, making it difficult to walk down the sloping lawns without slipping. The sun was still breaking the horizon and the presence of mist made it feel colder than it should be for a September morning. As they reached the Quidditch pitch, there was no sign of the Gryffindor team so they sat in the stands to wait. It wasn't long before the Gryffindor team stepped out of the changing room, looking half-asleep. Hayden was the last to appear and immediately noticed them.

"Aren't you finished yet?" Ron called out.

Hayden groaned. "Haven't even started," he said. "Wood's been teaching us new moves."

Hermione stood up and raised the toast in her hands. "We brought you some toast if you want some," she offered.

Hayden mounted his broomstick and kicked off the ground, soaring up into the air, towards them. He quickly grabbed two pieces of toast and stuffed them into his mouth. "Fanks," he said with a mouth full of food before hurrying over to the team.

As they started to run through their drills, Orion kept his eyes out for the Snitch only for his gaze to fall on Colin Creevey who was sitting in one of the highest seats across from them, his camera raised. "I don't believe it," Orion muttered. "Doesn't he ever quit?"

Neville followed Orion's gaze. "Apparently not," he said obviously. "Maybe we should try being blunt."

"Don't," Hermione scolded. "I know he can be a little—much—but he idolizes Hayden so much."

"I think Colin is the least of our worries," Ron said gravely pointing down at the field. "The Slytherin team is here."

Sure enough there were seven people dressed in green robes with broomsticks in their hands. The Gryffindor team had also noticed the presence of their rivals, flying to the ground and dismounting. Those sitting in the stands hurried towards the mixture of scarlet and green. Interfering with Oliver's Quidditch practices was one of the stupidest things anyone could do and everyone knew that.

"Flint!" Oliver bellowed. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!" Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Captain, had said something that seemed to make Oliver even angrier. "But I booked the field!" Oliver shouted. "I booked it!"

Orion, Neville and Ron had reached the crowd, their wands already out.

"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. 'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker'."

Hermione had joined them as had Colin.

"You've got a new Seeker?" Oliver asked skeptically. "Where?"

There was movement behind the taller boys as a smaller boy with a pale pointed face came out. It was Draco Malfoy.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" asked Fred, staring loathly at Draco.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the entire Slytherin team smiled broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."

The entire Slytherin time held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words: Nimbus Two Thousand and One glittered under the noses of the Gryffindor team in the early morning sun.

"The very latest model," Flint continued. "Only came out last month. I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps—" he smiled nastily at Fred and George's Cleansweep Fives "—sweeps the board with them."

"Well, at least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," Hermione said sharply. "They got in on pure talent."

Malfoy glared at Hermione. "No one asked for your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat.

It happened faster than anyone could blink. Orion's wand was raised and Malfoy was hunched over, spitting out soap bubbles as a loud bang was heard followed by a jet of green light shooting out the wrong end of Ron's wand. Ron was hit hard in the stomach, sending him reeling backward onto the grass.

Neville and Hermione were quickly at Ron's side, helping him up. "Ron, are you all right?" Hermione asked worriedly.

Ron opened his mouth only to belch loudly causing several slugs to dribble out of his mouth. The Slytherin team roared with laughter as Orion and Hayden grasped Ron's arms and pulled him out of the pitch. Both of them seemed to have the same thought, get Ron to Hagrid as soon as possible. Ron gave a huge heave and more slugs dribbled down his front as they crossed the grounds towards the edge of the forest. Orion glanced over his shoulder to see Neville and Hermione following them while Colin stood at the entrance to the pitch with his camera still in hand.

They were within twenty feet of Hagrid's house when the front door opened to reveal Lockhart, wearing pale mauve roves. Orion didn't hesitate. He pulled Ron and Hayden behind a nearby bush and waited as Hermione and Neville joined them.

"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing," Lockhart said loudly. "If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven't already got one—I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well, good-bye!"

Orion watched as Lockhart strode towards the castle. As soon as it was safe, he pulled Ron out of the bush and up to Hagrid's front door. Orion and Hayden wasted no time knocking urgently. The door was pulled open with quite a bit of force to reveal a grumpy looking Hagrid but his frown turned to a smile as soon as he saw who it was.

"Bin wonderin' when you lot would come ter see me," he said as he moved out of the door way. "Come in—thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again—"

Orion and Hayden helped Ron into the one-roomed cabin that contained an enormous bed in on corner, a fire crackling in the other. Neville took the opportunity to give a brief overview of what happened as Orion and Hayden lowered Ron into a chair.

"Better out than in," Hagrid said cheerfully, handing over a large copper basin. "Get 'em all up, Ron." He immediately started bustling around making tea while his boarhound, Fang, rested his chin on Orion's leg.

"What did Lockhart want, Hagrid?" Hayden asked curiously.

"Givin' me advice on getting' kelpies out of a well," Hagrid growled, moving a half-plucked rooster off his scrubbed table to set down the teapot. "Like I don' know. An' bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word was true, I'll eat my kettle."

Orion, Hayden and Neville grinned at each other while Hermione looked reproachful. "I think you're being a bit unfair," she said. "Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job—"

"He was the on'y man for the job," Hagrid interrupted, offering them a plate of treacle fudge. Ron chose that moment to cough up a few more slugs into his basin. "An' I mean the on'y one. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job. People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter think it's jinxed. No one's lasted long fer a while now. So tell me—" Hagrid jerked his head at Ron. "Who was he tryin' ter curse?"

Orion let out a sigh. "Draco called Hermione a 'Mudblood', Hagrid," he said softly.

"He didn'!" Hagrid growled angrily.

"Oh, he did," Neville said. "Orion got him good. I think he'll be coughing up soap for a week."

"But what does it mean?" Hermione asked curiously.

"It's about the most insulting thing he could think of," Ron gasped as he pried his face away from the basin. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born—you know, non-magical parents. There are some wizards—like Malfoy's family—who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood."A small burp escaped his lips and a single slug fell into his outstretched hand. He threw it into the basin. "I mean, the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all."

"Look at me," Neville offered. "I'm pureblood and I'd probably be failing all my classes if you and Orion weren't helping me."

"An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can' do," Hagrid added proudly, making Hermione flush scarlet.

"It's stupid and irrelevant, Hermione," Orion said. "Most of the witches and wizards in our world are half-blood or less. The ones that actually are pure-blood are so interrelated that their children end up squibs due to inbreeding."

Ron retched and ducked out of sight again.

"Well, I don' blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him, Ron," Hagrid said loudly as more slugs fell out of Ron's mouth. "Bu' maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired. 'Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son. Least yer not in trouble."

"But Orion cursed him," Hayden said worriedly. "Won't Orion get in trouble?"

Orion shook his head. "My dad is more important to the Ministry than his. Lucius Malfoy only 'advises' the Minister. My dad is an actual Auror. Who would you believe?"

"Ori's gotta point," Hagrid said with a shrug. "Now, come an' see what I've bin growin'."

It was nearly lunchtime when they bid Hagrid goodbye for a hearty lunch in the Great Hall. Ron's slug problem was nearly gone except for the occasional hiccup that caused the smallest of slugs to slip from his mouth. As they entered the crowded but cool Entrance Hall, a loud voice rang out, "There you are, Potter—Weasley." It was Professor McGonagall walking toward them, looking stern. "You will both do your detentions this evening."

"What're we doing, Professor?" Ron asked as he suppressed a burp.

"You, Mr. Weasley, will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Mr. Filch," Professor McGonagall said. "And no magic, Weasley—elbow grease." She turned to Hayden. "And you, Potter, will be helping Professor Lockhart answer his fan mail."

It was difficult to determine who had the worst assignment. Argus Filch, the caretaker, made no effort to hide how much he loathed the students but pairing Hayden with Lockhart…that was just cruel.

"Professor, can't I go and do the trophy room, too?" Hayden asked desperately.

"Certainly not," Professor McGonagall said briskly. "Professor Lockhart requested you particularly. Eight o'clock sharp, both of you."

As soon as Professor McGonagall was out of sight, Orion let out a snort. "Of course he asked for you, Hayden," he said sarcastically. "You two are such kindred spirits."

"This is a nightmare," Hayden groaned. "What am I going to do? I can't stand being anywhere near him much less spending hours answering _his_ fan mail."

"Filch'll have me there all night," Ron moaned. "No magic! There must be about a hundred cups in that room. I'm no good at Muggle cleaning."

It was with great reluctance that Hayden and Ron joined Orion, Neville and Hermione in the library for the afternoon to tackle schoolwork but it ended up serving as a welcomed distraction until Hayden and Ron were forced to leave for their detentions. As they left the library, Orion could have sworn he had heard Hayden and Ron vow to never do anything that would earn them a detention again. Well, there was always hope.

With Neville and Hermione retreating back to Gryffindor Tower for the night, Orion was left in silence to finally gain some ground on the final chapters of _The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 4_ until curfew. He couldn't afford to procrastinate any more if he wanted to complete fourth year material for the majority of he courses by Christmas. Transfiguration was bound to take the most time. For some reason, he always struggled with the subject.

Orion had just managed to finish the final chapter when Madam Pince kicked him out with only ten minutes left before curfew. The empty, dimly lit hallways certainly gave off a creepy feeling that urged Orion to maintain his brisk pace. It was the perfect atmosphere for something to jump out of the shadows or surprise you when you turned a corner. Orion had a feeling that his father would find this situation rather entertaining. It was the perfect atmosphere to venture around in as Padfoot and scare people who would undoubtedly believe he was the infamous Grim, an omen of death.

Reaching the moving staircases, Orion was abruptly pulled from his thoughts by voice that sent chills down his spine. "Come…come to me…Let me rip you…Let me tear you… Let me kill you…"

Orion's wand was raised in a blink of an eye as he frantically looked around for the source of the voice only to find nothing out of the ordinary. Slowly, Orion walked up the stairs, turning his body a quarter turn with every step he took. As strange as the voice had sounded, the intent was clear. Someone or something wanted to kill someone or something else.

Orion had nearly reached the third floor, seeing nothing out of the ordinary when a hand grasped his shoulder. Without even thinking, Orion grabbed his attacker by the wrist and spun around; twisting his attacker's arm to the point a cry of pain was heard. His wand was ready, pointing at a dark haired head…a messy dark haired head.

It took a long moment for Orion to realize that his 'attacker' was actually Hayden Potter.

Releasing Hayden, Orion let out a relieved breath as he staggered back against the wall, careful to maintain his balance on the step he was on. "What in the name of Merlin were thinking, scaring me like that?" Orion asked, silently pleading for his pounding heart to calm down.

Hayden grasped his aching shoulder as he rose to his feet. "If I would've known you'd act like that I wouldn't have done it," he said, wincing as he slowly rotated his shoulder. "Why did you act like that?"

Orion stared at Hayden incredulously. "Are you mad?" he asked. "Didn't you hear that voice? Didn't you hear it say it was going to kill someone or something?"

Hayden's eyes widened as he looked around frantically. "What voice?" he asked quickly. "Where did you hear it?"

Orion hesitated. "You didn't hear anything about ten minutes ago?" he asked slowly.

Hayden shook his head. "But I only just left detention," he offered. "Lockhart was going on and on about some of his fans so I could have missed it." He cast a cautious look around. "Er—maybe we should head back to Gryffindor Tower…just to be safe."

Orion had to agree. Together, they hurried to the Gryffindor Tower while keeping their eyes and ears open for any hint of the mysterious voice but they only encountered silence. Orion didn't know whether to be relieved or puzzled by that. The voice had sounded so determined—too determined to just give up. But the harsh reality was that regardless of what he heard, what chance did he have against something intent on killing? His father wasn't here to save him this time.

Entering the nearly empty Gryffindor Common Room, Orion finally realized how late it actually was. He ignored Hayden's questioning gaze as he went straight up to the dormitory. As confused as he was, talking about the mysterious voice was the last thing Orion wanted to do at the moment. He needed to calm down and look at the entire situation rationally. It was, of course, possible that he was overreacting. It could have been a ghost or someone trying to scare him.

Stepping into the dormitory, Orion immediately noticed Ron's empty bed and mentally debated whether to be concerned or hopeful. There was the possibility that Ron had heard the voice although it was highly unlikely if Hayden hadn't heard a thing. _I'll wait to morning. If nothing's happened then I won't say anything. If something has happened, I'll tell Grandad what I heard. It's the best I can do._

After all, there really couldn't be another killer at Hogwarts, right? Voldemort was far from Hogwarts now. The threat should be gone. It should be a normal year—a peaceful year, right?

Pulling on his pajamas, Orion murmured a quite goodnight to Hayden before crawling into bed and forcing himself to calm down in order to drift off to dreamland. This was certainly one of those times that it seemed morning couldn't come quick enough.


	6. Bloody Warnings

Chapter 6

Bloody Warnings

As Orion had hoped, no one had been harmed in any way other than Ron's sore muscles from detention. Hayden had tried to talk to Orion about the voice but Orion just pushed it off, saying that it must have been one of the ghosts. His insistence—or perhaps denial—was strengthened every day that passed since then. When October arrived, any thought of the voice had faded into memory due to the increase in schoolwork and the fact that many were catching colds due to the damp chill that had settled over Hogwarts. The Pepper-Up Potion was in high demand leaving any who took it smoking at the ears for several hours afterwards.

Hayden and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were some of the more frequent consumers of the Pepper-Up Potion since Oliver was determined to have as many training sessions as possible to prove that they didn't need fancy brooms in order to win a game. They practiced through heavy rain and into chilly nights. Orion, Hermione and even Neville quickly found themselves in the role as tutors when Hayden fell behind in classes. It had become a team effort to ensure that everyone's schoolwork was completed on time.

In what felt like a blink of an eye, Halloween was upon them and everyone was looking forward to the feast. Hayden, unfortunately, had given his word that he would attend the 500th Deathday Party of the ghost of Gryffindor Tower, Nearly Headless Nick. Ron and Hermione had immediately jumped to Hayden's aid, assuring him that they would go too but Orion and Neville had declined the offer. In Orion's opinion, celebrating the day you died sounded rather morbid.

As dinner arrived, Orion and Neville bid farewell to Hayden, Ron and Hermione before entering the festive Great Hall. Live bats fluttered around above them and Hagrid's large pumpkins had been carved into lanterns that could easily fit three men inside. The rumor that Professor Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for entertainment was quickly proved false but it was still an enjoyable celebration. Both Orion and Neville ate their fill and managed to pack away some for Hermione, Hayden and Ron. Both Orion and Neville figured that since the dead didn't eat, there wouldn't be any eatable food at the party.

It turned out to be a smart plan since Hermione, Hayden and Ron arrived just as pudding was being served. Orion and Neville desperately tried to hide the knowing smiles threatening to form as they listened to Hayden and Ron complain about the party. It had been freezing, boring for anyone who had a pulse and there had been no food that could ever be considered edible. Peeves had attended and ended up teasing Moaning Myrtle (a ghost that haunted on of the toilets in the girl's bathroom on the first floor) to the point that she fled from the dungeon in tears.

The feast concluded with the bats above them flapping around into Halloween related formations, dispersing to another area when an explosion of sweets fell upon the students. Ron took the opportunity to fill his pockets with as much as he could grab while Orion, Neville and Hayden got a head start on heading back to the Gryffindor Tower. Hermione and Ron quickly caught up as they reached the doors. Orion, Neville and Hayden had to bite their bottom lip to refrain from laughing at how disgruntled Ron looked even with his mouth full of food.

Stepping into the Entrance Hall, Orion listened to Neville and Hermione begin on the specifics of ghosts when he heard it.

"…rip…tear…kill…"

Orion stumbled to a halt. It was the same voice. The same cold, murderous voice that he heard over a month ago.

"Ori?" Neville asked curiously. "Ori, what's wrong?"

A hand grasped Orion's arm, pulling him off to the side. "You're hearing it again, aren't you?" Hayden whispered into Orion's ear.

Orion nodded as he looked around frantically for any indication of who the voice could belong to. Unfortunately, having the Entrance Hall full of students made that extremely difficult. "You didn't hear it?" he asked, meeting Hayden's hazel eyes.

"…so hungry…for so long…kill…time to kill…"

Orion jumped, looking around again only to have Hayden usher him on with the crowd. It was difficult to ignore the confused looks on Neville, Hermione and Ron's faces. The voice was growing fainter as if it were moving away. _Or upward._ _What if it's going towards one of the Common Rooms?_

"Orion? Hayden?" Hermione asked nervously. "What's going on?"

"Shhh!" Hayden hissed. "Not now!"

They walked with the masses up the marble staircase. Chatter increased with every step, making it difficult to make out anything. Orion couldn't determine whether that was a good thing or not. It was clear now that the voice didn't belong to any of the ghosts since they were all at Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party. But then, if it wasn't a ghost, what was it and why couldn't Hayden—or anyone else—hear it?

Gasps filled the air as people in front of them came to a sudden halt, causing everyone to run into each other. Orion suddenly had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and quickly fought his way through the crowd. The moment he did, however, his entire body froze. On the wall, foot-high words had been daubed between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN

OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

If that wasn't bad enough, Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket over a large puddle of water on the floor. She was as stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring as some invisible horror.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

Orion was too shocked at the sight to even consider taking action against Draco's foul language. It just didn't make any sense. There before him was the evidence that the voice was an actual threat but how could such a thing even be possible without anyone in the castle noticing? _Because everyone was at the feast, you prat._ _Who would patrol empty corridors in the middle of the Halloween celebration?_

Mrs. Norris, obviously.

Returning his stare to the message, Orion couldn't help feeling extremely uneasy. He knew the legend of the Chamber of Secrets, at least he knew the basics. It was another one of the 'myths' that Remus had told him about before bed. Unfortunately, it seemed that this 'myth' like the Mirror of Erised was as real as they were.

"What's going on here? What's going on?" Argus Filch asked as he pushed his way through the crowd. As his eyes fell upon Mrs. Norris, he stumbled back, clutching his face in horror. "My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" His eyes searched the crowd until they landed on the person standing at Orion's left which happened to be Hayden. "You! You! You murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll—"

"Argus!" Professor Dumbledore and a number of other teachers had arrived on the scene. No one moved as Dumbledore detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket. "Come with me, Argus. You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Black."

Orion shared a quick glance with Hayden, desperately passing on the silent message to not say anything about 'the voice'. This was not the time to reveal that piece of information. He needed answers first and he didn't want the majority of the teaching staff to think that he was out of his mind.

"My office is nearest, Headmaster—just upstairs—please feel free," Lockhart said eagerly as he stepped forward.

"Thank you, Gilderoy," Professor Dumbledore said and led the way to Lockhart's office with Professors McGonagall, Snape and Lockhart on his heels. Orion, Hayden, Neville, Hermione and Ron walked closely together, trying to avoid the stares and whispers from the students as well as the glares from Filch.

As they entered Lockhart's darkened office, there was a flood of movement from all of the portraits on the walls. Orion fought the urge to roll his eyes as the majority of the Lockharts in the pictures ran out of sight so no one would notice their hair in rollers. Candles were lit on Lockhart's desk, allowing Professor Dumbledore to lay Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and examine her. He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles as he gently prodded and poked her.

Professor McGonagall was at Dumbledore's side, bent almost as close while Snape loomed behind them. Lockhart, however, was hovering around them, making suggestions. "It was definitely a curse that killed her—probably the Transmogrifian Toture—I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very countercurse that would have saved her…"

Orion fought back the urge to ask what it was as Filch broke out in dry, raking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk with his face in his hands. Orion couldn't help feeling sorry for the man. If that had been Hedwig, Orion didn't know what he would do.

Professor Dumbledore pulled out his wand and started muttering strange words under his breath while tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand but nothing happened. Mrs. Norris continued to look as still and as stiff as ever.

"…I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou," Lockhart continued on, "a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once…"

Orion ran a hand over his face wearily. If this continued for much longer he didn't think he could be held responsible for his actions.

Finally, Professor Dumbledore straightened up. "She's not dead, Argus," he said softly causing Lockhart to stop reciting the number of murders he had prevented.

"Not dead?" Filch choked out, looking through his fingers. "But why's she all—all stiff and frozen?"

"She had been Petrified," Professor Dumbledore answered, ignoring Lockhart's declaration that he had known that all along. "But how, I cannot say…"

"Ask him!" Filch shrieked as he pointed at Hayden.

"No second year could have done this," Professor Dumbledore countered. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced—"

"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat angrily. "You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found—in my office—he knows I'm a—I'm a—He knows I'm a Squib!"

"I never touched Mrs. Norris!" Hayden said loudly. "And I don't care if you're a squib! My mum's Muggle-born. It would be stupid of me to think any less of those who can't do magic!"

Professor Snape chose that moment to speak up. "If I might speak, Headmaster. It is suspicious. Potter, Weasley and Granger were extremely late to the feast—"

"—that's because we were at Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party," Hayden interrupted. "You can ask any of the ghosts. They saw us there. We left as soon as we could to get to the feast."

Professor Snape stared at Hayden for a long moment before turning back to Professor Dumbledore. "I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful," he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges—"

"—Severus," Professor McGonagall interrupted sharply. "Potter has explained his whereabouts."

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," Professor Dumbledore added.

"My cat has been Petrified!" Filch shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus," Professor Dumbledore said patiently. "Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris."

"I'll make it," Lockhart offered instantly. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep—"

"Excuse me," Professor Snape said icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school."

There was an uncomfortable silence that filled the room until Professor Dumbledore turned his attention to the five Gryffindor Second Years. "You may go," he said, "but if you recall anything that may help, please tell a teacher."

They didn't need to be told twice. Orion was the first to hurry out of the room. As soon as they were far enough away, Hayden pulled Orion into an empty classroom with Neville, Hermione and Ron following Hayden's lead. Orion tried to glare at Hayden but the lack of made it difficult to see anything other than where everyone was standing.

"All right, what's going on?" Hermione asked impatiently. "What are you two hiding?"

"Nothing!" Orion answered quickly.

"It's not nothing, Ori," Hayden insisted. "It isn't a coincidence that you heard a voice just before Mrs. Norris is found Petrified. I just don't understand why we didn't hear it."

"Wait a minute," Neville jumped in. "This has happened before, hasn't it?" Orion and Hayden remained silent. "Ori, what were you thinking? Maybe this was what that bloody house elf was talking about! We need to tell your dad—"

"—tell him what?!?" Orion interrupted angrily. "Tell him that I'm hearing voices? Tell him that I'm mad? No way! Dad has enough to worry about already! We can tell him about Mrs. Norris being Petrified but that's it."

"I—er—well, I agree with Orion," Ron offered. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world. But—you must admit it's weird…"

"Things have been weird ever since Dobby popped into my bedroom," Hayden muttered. "What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber Has Been Opened…What's that supposed to mean?"

Orion let out a sigh. "It's an old legend dating back to the founders," he said softly. "Hogwarts was built by Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin to offer an educational setting for young witches and wizards away from the prying eyes of Muggles since magic had been feared by the masses during that time. For a while, everything was great but soon disagreements started getting in the way of things. Slytherin didn't want magical students of Muggle parentage attending. There are a number of theories why."

"Like what?" Hermione asked eagerly.

Orion shrugged as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, many believe that Slytherin viewed them to be untrustworthy while others believed that Sytherin feared the possible risk the Muggle parents posed to the magical students. It could have been that a Muggle offended him at some point or that there was some misunderstanding with his Parseltongue ability. Slytherin wasn't fond of Muggles, that much was certain. The reason behind it, though, is complete speculation. Anyways, with Slytherin's views, a rift grew between Slytherin and the rest of the founders. It got so bad that Gryffindor and Slytherin argued to the point that wands were drawn. No one knows if there was an actual duel but Slytherin left the school after the confrontation."

"So, where does the Chamber of Secrets fit into this?" asked Hayden in confusion.

"I'm getting there," Orion answered patiently. "Before Slytherin left, his fears pushed him into creating the Chamber of Secrets, a hidden chamber that only he could find. It was believed to be sealed until Slytherin's heir returned to Hogwarts to unseal it and release the horror within against all of those who were unworthy to learn magic. Once again, there are many theories to what could possibly be inside the chamber and where it could be but it's never been found so many believe that it's nothing more than myth."

"Until tonight," Ron muttered. "How do you know all this?"

"My uncle has a fascination with legends," Orion said earning a snicker from Neville. "They were common bedtime stories when I was younger."

A clock chimed, echoing through the halls.

"It's midnight," Hermione said worriedly. "We need to hurry before someone finds us."

No one protested but it was clear that the discussion was far from over.

* * *

The next few days seemed to crawl as everyone repeatedly discussed the attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch was completely distraught. He was only seen pacing the spot where she had been attacked or lashing out at students by trying to hand out detentions for 'breathing loudly' and 'looking happy' during such a traumatic time. The only other person who was extremely disturbed by what happened to Mrs. Norris was Ginny Weasely and no amount of talking from any of her brothers could change her mind. Apparently, she was a great cat lover.

To make matters worse, Hayden had become the recipient of stares, whispers and the occasional frightened look due to Filch's accusations. Justin Finch-Fletchley was avoiding Hayden at all costs, making it difficult to Orion to spend any time with his Hufflepuff friends when Hayden was around. Of course, after Orion found out the rumors that had been going around about Hayden, he wasn't too keen on spending time with the Hufflepuff second years.

For some reason, people actually thought that Hayden could be the mysterious heir of Slytherin which was ridiculous. The Potter family was as dedicated to Gryffindor as the Malfoy family was dedicated to Slytherin. The problem was that there was no way to actually prove Hayden's innocence without the actual heir stepping forward and that wasn't about to happen any time soon.

Neville and Hermione had tried to push for details concerning the voice Orion was hearing every chance they had, refusing to back down when Orion insisted that he didn't want to talk about it. Both of them had been hurt that Orion hadn't mentioned the voice the first time he heard it and furious that Hayden had known all along and kept it to himself. Neither Neville nor Hermione seemed to understand how important it was to blend with the crowd, especially when certain secrets could destroy the life some had worked so hard to build.

Hayden and Ron, on the other hand, were eager to work out another mystery. They made an effort to pass the corridor where the attack had happened as often as possible to look for clues, sometimes dragging Orion, Neville and Hermione with them. Orion had tried to urge his friends to stay away from the scene of the crime but his advice fell on deaf ears. They were just too curious for their own good.

There wasn't much to find and what was discovered didn't make any sense. The presence of scorch marks was extremely odd but not as odd as the twenty spiders that were scuttling to get through a small crack in the wall. None of them had ever seen that sort of behavior from a spider before…well, Orion, Neville, Hayden and Hermione hadn't. Ron had moved as far away as possible the moment he noticed the small creatures. Evidently, Ron had a bad experience with Fred and George turning a teddy bear into a spider when he was younger.

As fascinating as it was, Orion drew the line when Hermione led Neville, Hayden and Ron into the girl's bathroom near the crime scene, ignoring the large OUT of ORDER sign on the door. He didn't care if Moaning Myrtle haunted in there. They had been there too long and if they didn't leave soon, Orion knew they would be caught…which they were.

With nothing else to do, Orion nervously paced outside the bathroom until he came face to face with Percy Weasley.

"Just what are you doing here, Black?" Percy demanded angrily. "This is a closed corridor!"

Orion glanced at the bathroom door uncomfortably. "Well, you see, Percy, Hermione had to go to the bathroom," he said in a hushed voice. "She said it couldn't wait—er—something about pains and—er—schedules. She was really anxious so I thought I would just wait here for her."

Percy's anger quickly faded only to be replaced by embarrassment. "Oh, well, I guess that can't be helped," he said quickly. "Just—just hurry to dinner when she's done, all right?"

Orion nodded and waited until Percy was out of sight before letting out a relieved breath. That had been too close. As soon as Percy's footsteps faded away, Orion turned to see Hermione, Neville, Hayden, and Ron emerge from the bathroom. He shot them a look that clearly said 'I told you so' before heading to the Great Hall, vowing to never cover for them again. Orion had promised his father that this year wouldn't be like last year. There would be no dangerous encounters with enormous creatures or Death Eaters trying to bring Voldemort back to power.

He wouldn't worry his father or his uncle like that again.

Neville and Hermione caught up with Orion just before he entered the Great Hall. No words were said but it was clear that an understanding was reached. Until everything settled down, the corridor was off limits. It really wasn't much of a sacrifice since it had already been investigated but the gesture was appreciated. Hayden and Ron joined them shortly after, both of them keeping their distance from Percy, just in case.

It was difficult to complete homework in the Common Room that night due to never ending stares as well as the hushed conversations between Hayden and Ron. Orion had to admit that he was concerned. This 'mystery' was turning into an obsession for Hayden and Ron. They were starting to fall behind in their schoolwork once again which was bound to get them into trouble, especially from Professor McGonagall.

"But who can it be?" Hayden asked Ron quietly. "Who'd want to frighten all of the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of here?"

"Let's think," Ron said dryly. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"

Orion, Neville and Hermione glanced up at them, frowning. Hermione was the first to speak up. "If you're talking about Malfoy—"

"Of course I am!" Ron exclaimed quietly. "You heard him—'You'll be next, Mudbloods!'—come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him—"

"—it's not," Orion interrupted. "There is no Slytherin blood in the Malfoy line. I know Draco. If there was the blood of any founder in his line he wouldn't hesitate to brag about it. Besides he lacks—" A thought hit him like a hyperactive Grim. There was one small fact that everyone was forgetting. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth, a trait that was supposed to be passed down to his heir. But that meant…

Orion jumped to his feet and hurried up the stairs to the Second Year dorm. He needed answers…reassurances that his line of thinking was wrong. In no time, Orion had his trunk opened and half of the contents tossed on his bed before finding what he was looking for. The small square mirror was the quickest way to get the answers he needed. Sitting on the floor, Orion stared into the mirror and called for his father.

The mirror misted over for a moment before clearing to reveal what looked like a dark colored ceiling. Orion opened his mouth to call again when a familiar voice stopped him.

"I understand that Rufus is demanding answers, Kingsley, but I don't have any. We're working as fast as we can. If he has a problem with that he can do the work himself."

"Do you really want me to tell him that?" asked a deep voice.

A sigh could be heard. "Tell him I'll be there shortly. I just need to take care of something first." There were footsteps followed by a door opening and closing as the ceiling was replaced by Sirius' tired face. "Hi kiddo," he said sounding have excited and half concerned. "What's the emergency?"

Orion bit his lower lip nervously as he tried to piece together a question that could summarize his worries but there were just too many. "How much do you know about the potion I took when you adopted me?" he blurted out.

Sirius frowned. "Why do you want to know about that?" he asked cautiously.

Orion launched into giving an overview of what had been happening at Hogwarts with the Chamber of Secrets. He even told Sirius about the rumors that Hayden was the heir of Slytherin. "Don't you see?" he asked reaching the end of his summary. "If either of my birth parents are—"

"—now stop right there, Ori," Sirius interrupted. "I know for certain that you have no Slytherin blood in you. Don't you remember all those tests I put you through when your magic started acting up?" Orion nodded. "Well, one of the possibilities was that the adoption potion caused a conflict between your birth father and me. I had the Healers run a few ancestry spells to make sure that wasn't the case. Salazar Slytherin wasn't on your list."

"But then how can I—"

"—I don't know, Ori," Sirius said softly. "Believe me when I say that it was as much of a surprise to us as it was to you. Now, about this Chamber of Secrets ordeal, there has only been one attack?" Orion nodded. "And no one—other than Filch's cat—has been—well, for lack of a better term—hurt?" Orion nodded again. "Well, I suppose there is a chance that this is a prank although that wouldn't explain the Petrifaction." Sirius' gaze turned thoughtful. "I'll see what I can find out on my end and I want you to let me know if there's another attack."

"But—"

"No buts, Ori," Sirius interrupted firmly. "I'm not happy that we haven't heard anything about this until now, especially when what happened last year is taken into consideration. I'll talk to your grandfather about this. I know he wants to avoid Ministry involvement at Hogwarts but this…well, he should have at least told me."

Orion suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable, as if he had just snitched on a friend. "Dad—"

"—don't worry about it, son," Sirius insisted. "You didn't do anything wrong. For now, I want you to keep your mirror on you at all times. If there is the slightest hint of danger, I want you to contact me. I know you love Hogwarts but your safety is what's important."

The sound of approaching footsteps caused Orion to jump and look over his shoulder just in time to see Neville, Hermione, Hayden and Ron entering the room. Returning his attention to the mirror, Orion knew that this was going to bring about a round of new questions. "I should go, Dad—"

"—Ori, promise me that you'll stay out of trouble and absolutely no investigating," Sirius said firmly. "I don't want to be contacted with the news that you happened to be the next victim."

"I promise," Orion said quickly as Neville and Hayden looked over his shoulders to see the mirror.

"Hello boys," Sirius said with a knowing smile. "Listen, I know I can't order you to do anything but please follow Orion's lead. I'll see what I can find out about the Chamber of Secrets and who's behind the attack." Sirius shifted his gaze so he was staring directly at Hayden. "I know you're not the heir of Slytherin, Hayden. What people are forgetting is that Slytherin was a Parselmouth, a trait that he passed down to his descendents. The last known Parselmouth was Voldemort and the last we heard was that the task force searching for him lost his signature somewhere in Albania."

Neville winced slightly along with Ron. "So You-Know-Who is the heir of Slytherin?" asked Neville worriedly.

"It was never proven but many believed him to be," Sirius answered. "In order to perform the spells, we would need a sample of his blood. Before he met his downfall, it was nearly impossible to get close enough to Voldemort to even attempt obtaining a sample and live to do anything with it. Voldemort was obsessed with the Dark Arts and knew how valuable his blood could be to the enemy."

"So how do we prove Hayden innocent?" Ron asked from behind Neville.

Sirius let out a sigh. "With no proof it will be difficult," he answered truthfully. "What you have to realize is that people will believe what they want to believe, even with evidence to the contrary. Is there any logical reasoning to their theory? Absolutely not but they need a culprit to put the blame on. Hayden is the obvious scapegoat at the moment."

"So you don't think Malfoy is the heir of Slytherin?" Ron jumped in.

Sirius burst out laughing. "If that were true then we'd never hear the end of it," he said as soon as he calmed down. "Lucius Malfoy is bad enough with all of the bribing he's done in the past. Let your teachers and me worry about who the heir of Slytherin is. You five focus on your classes and—with your remaining free time—research possible ways of Petrifaction."

"We can do that," Hermione said quickly. "There are enough of us to over different areas at the same time."

Orion remained silent. He knew what his father was really doing. This 'assignment' was nothing more than a way to ensure that the five of them stayed out of trouble and out of danger for as long as possible. As he bid his father goodnight, Orion had to wonder what tomorrow would bring. Professor Dumbledore had already been on thin ice with the Black family. Orion could only imagine what tomorrow's conversation would entail.


	7. Bludgers and Wands

Chapter 7

Bludgers and Wands

Sirius' assignment ended up being a blessing in disguise. Hermione spent every available moment in the Library looking up Petrifaction, usually dragging Orion and Neville along in the process. With the upcoming Quidditch game, Hayden was once again trapped under Oliver's intense training schedule to ensure a Gryffindor victory over Slytherin. Ron, on the other hand, was still slightly annoyed that Sirius had laughed at him. For some strange reason, Ron still believed that Draco was to blame for the attack on Mrs. Norris.

Despite trying to stay out of sight of Professor Dumbledore, Orion had managed to witness the end of the argument between his father and grandfather in the Entrance Hall. Thankfully, they hadn't noticed him. To say that Sirius was upset was an understatement. Orion had never seen anyone threaten Professor Dumbledore like Sirius had. Well, he had really never seen anyone threaten Professor Dumbledore but that wasn't important. What was important was that Sirius' main threat happened to be Orion, something that Orion wasn't too pleased to hear. Just how many times was his father planning on using that defense?

If changes were made due to Sirius' visit, Orion never saw them. Of course he had been keeping his distance from Professor Dumbledore so it wasn't surprising. Orion seriously believed that Professor Dumbledore wasn't trying to hide the attack on Mrs. Norris from the Ministry. He just preferred to solve it internally. With Cornelius Fudge as the Minister of Magic, it was often better to avoid someone who was more interested in how actions could benefit him than the wizarding community.

In addition to everything outside of classes, there were also the dreaded hours spent with Lockhart. After the 'Pixie Lesson', Lockhart had resorted to reenacting parts of his books with Hayden being chosen as a 'volunteer' for the majority of them. It took quite a bit of effort for Orion to keep his mouth shut as he watched Hayden embarrass himself over and over again but it was up to Hayden to speak up. Lockhart had taken to ignoring everyone who didn't think he was the greatest thing to enter the wizarding world since the founders, including Orion.

All in all, everyone was relieved with the arrival of the weekend. Quidditch seemed to be what everyone needed to put the attack behind them. Hayden was suddenly the hope of Gryffindor again since his Nimbus 2000 was the only broom that could really compete with the Numbus 2001s held by the Slytherin team. As eleven o'clock approached, Orion, Neville, Hermione and Ron wished Hayden good luck before hurrying to find a spot in the stands. The day was muggy with the threat of rain obvious. Not perfect playing weather but good enough if the Snitch could be caught before the rain impaired visibility.

The Slytherin team entered the pitch first and was met with an overwhelming array of jeers and hisses that seemed to overpower the cheers coming from the Slytherins in the stands. The Gryffindor team walked out onto the pitch a moment later, causing the noise to switch almost like magic. Cheers replaced jeers. Red and gold nearly washed out any sign of green and silver. It was clear that Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were anxious to see Slytherin beaten.

The entire crowd waited on baited breath as the team captains, Oliver and Marcus Flint shook hands. It seemed to take forever for Madam Hooch to put the whistle in her mouth but once she did, the roar from the crowd silence any sound the whistle may have made. The fourteen players rose towards the sky, Hayden and Draco flying higher than the rest of them. The Quaffle, Bludgers and Snitch were released. In a blink of an eye, the Snitch had vanished from sight and the game began.

It was difficult to seriously search for the Snitch while keeping one eye on Hayden. Draco had quickly revealed that his 'strategy' was to annoy Hayden as much as possible with his taunting. The distraction had nearly worked when a Bludger nearly hit Hayden in the head. Thankfully Hayden had moved just in time. Everyone around Orion let out a relieved sigh when George Weasley hit the Bludger towards a Slytherin player, Adrian Pucey, but the Bludger changed direction in midair…towards Hayden.

Slytherin scored but none of the Gryffindors noticed. Their attention was focused completely on Hayden dropping to avoid the Bludger. Once again, George was there to hit it away but the Bludger swerved like a boomerang before returning on its path to its original target. Orion could only stare in horror as Hayden took off, trying to outwit the Bludger. No Bludger ever focused on one target unless it had been bewitched to do so. The Slytherin team could be desperate enough to attempt such a thing but Orion doubted they would be able to pull it off without anyone finding out.

"Ori, what's going on?" Neville asked nervously. "That Bludger—"

"—is bewitched, I know," Orion interrupted as he pulled out his wand. He knew he needed to do something soon. The Bludger had once again turned against the direction Fred hit it in order to go after Hayden again. If something wasn't done soon, the Bludger would reach its target. Vaguely, Lee Jordan could be heard announcing that Slytherin was in the lead, sixty points to zero.

The Bludger's attempts were getting worse, forcing Fred and George to focus on Hayden than the rest of the team. As a result, the Slytherin Beaters had no problem hitting the second Bludger at the Gryffindor Chasers. Something needed to be done before someone was seriously hurt. Finally, Wood called for a time out and Orion was off, fighting his way through the crowd, down the stairs and to the edge of the field.

Hayden was the first to notice him and hurried over. "Someone's tampered with the Bludger," he said breathlessly. "I can't shake it."

"I know," Orion said quickly. "Listen, we don't have much of a choice here. If you continue to play, you'll undoubtedly end up in the hospital wing. Tell Oliver to call for a substitution. Give me your robes and I'll play for you."

Hayden paled. "But the Bludger—"

"—is only after you," Orion insisted. At least he hoped that was the case. There was the slightest chance that it was after the Gryffindor Seeker but he wasn't about to tell Hayden that.

"Orion!" Oliver shouted as he approached. "You shouldn't be on the field!"

Hayden turned around, partially stepping in front of Orion. "Orion wants us to call a substitution," he said nervously.

Oliver stopped in his tracks as his gaze shifted from Hayden to Orion. Finally, he nodded. "I'll see if Madam Hooch will allow it."

Hayden and Orion watched Oliver hurry off as the rest of the team approached. Orion didn't miss the hopeful look in their eyes as they noticed who was standing behind Hayden. Before they could ask questions, however, Madam Hooch joined them with Oliver on her heels.

"Wood tells me you wish to take Potter's place in the game, Black," Madam Hooch said briskly. "You're not on the roster—"

"—alternates aren't required to be," Orion interrupted quickly. "All they need is to have practiced with the team and I have." He didn't mention that his 'practice' was a few years ago but the rules didn't state a time frame. The Seeker position didn't depend on knowledge of the plays. If someone could fly a broom and catch the Snitch then they would be able to step in.

Madam Hooch stared at Orion skeptically before turning her gaze to Hayden. "You realize, Potter, that if you forfeit your position you won't be able to come back in the game, correct?"

Hayden bit his lower lip as he glanced over his shoulder at Orion. After a discrete nudge, Hayden nodded.

"Very well," Madam Hooch said and blew the whistle to resume place.

As quickly as possible, Hayden handed over his slightly wet scarlet robes and his Nimbus 2000. The robes were a little tight and a little short but it could have been worse. After a stern glance, Hayden agreed to remain in the changing room until the game was over just in case the Bludger still sought him out. Orion could have been wrong but he wasn't about to take any chances. Meeting the gazes of the rest of the team, Orion nodded and they took off to continue the game.

Cheers washed over them as they soared high in the air. As predicted, the bewitched Bludger seemed to keep searching around for Hayden leaving only one Bludger for the Beaters to worry about. The rain was falling more heavily on them, making it difficult to pick out the small flash of gold. Out of the corner of his eye, Orion noticed Draco flying just below him with a scowl on his face. It wasn't surprising. Draco had gone out of his way to avoid Orion ever since Orion had spelled his mouth clean.

A whistling broke the air forcing Orion to dive as a Bludger flew past where his head had just been. Pulling up, Orion rotated his body and shot upwards towards Draco. It was then that he saw it—the Golden Snitch, hovering inches above Draco's left ear. He had to time this perfectly. One wrong move would alert Draco and cost Gryffindor the game. At that moment, Draco looked down and saw Orion coming at him. Draco's eyes widened in panic as he sped out of the way giving Orion a perfect opportunity. Leaning forward, Orion sped up as he reached out and wrapped his fingers around the small golden ball.

A loud whistling sound nearly drowned out Madam Hooch's own whistle, signaling the end of the game. Turning around, Orion stared in horror as the bewitched Bludger took off towards the changing room where Hayden was coming out. Lowering himself so he was practically laying flat on his broom, Orion shot off with his wand already in his hand. The Bludger had a decent lead but Orion was faster. The question was if he was fast enough.

Spells few past him, aimed for the Bludger but none hit the desired target. Hayden was running for the changing room. Orion lowered himself even further on the broom as he pointed his wand at the Bludger. He needed to act fast. The Bludger was only a body length ahead of him and only seconds away from striking Hayden.

"_Finite Incantatem_!" Orion bellowed.

The spell hit the Bludger but the Bludger stayed on course. Hayden was only inches away from the changing room but it would be inches too far. In an act of desperation, Orion lept off the broom, tackling Hayden in the process only to hear a loud _crack_ and a howl of pain as they crashed into the ground, mud splattering everywhere.

Haziness washed over him as he tried to force himself to move. His vision was slightly blurry and there was a pounding in his head. Vaguely, Orion felt himself being rolled over, off of Hayden and onto his back. He blinked up at the somewhat blurry faces blocking the rain from hitting his face trying to figure out who they were. Slowly, everything cleared allowing Orion to sit up with Neville's help and look around to see Lockhart smiling widely at Hayden.

"Oh, no, not you," Hayden moaned as he carefully sat up and held his arm to his chest.

"Doesn't know what he's saying," Lockhart said loudly. "Not to worry, Hayden. I'm about to fix your arm."

"No!" Hayden shouted as he quickly slid away from Lockhart. "I'll go see Madam Pomfrey."

A familiar clicking noise grabbed Orion's attention to see Colin Creevey standing in front of the crowd with his camera covering the majority of his face.

"No photos, Colin," Hayden said annoyance.

"Just stay still, Hayden," Lockhart said cheerfully as he twirled his wand then pointed it at Hayden's injured arm.

"NO!"

Unfortunately, Hayden and Orion were too late. Hayden's arm lost form as is seemed to deflate before their eyes leaving what looked like a thick, flesh-colored rubber glove. Gasps filled the air as everyone realized what Lockhart had actually done. He hadn't mended Hayden's bones. He had actually removed them.

"Ah," Lockhart said uncomfortably. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind. So, Hayden, just toddle up to the hospital wing—ah, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger and Mr. Black, would you escort him?—and Madam Pomfrey will be able to—er—tidy you up a bit."

With extreme effort, Orion bit back a few choice words that would undoubtedly grant him a number of detentions. He couldn't believe that anyone could believe an idiot like Lockhart could even attempt to accomplish anything written in his books. The man couldn't even cast a spell correctly!

Madam Pomfrey was even more furious than Orion, especially when she heard that Hayden had declined Lockhart's help in the first place. "I swear, that man!" she ranted as she threw Hayden a pair of pajamas. "You'll have to stay the night, Potter. Growing bones back is painful."

Hermione and Neville waited outside the curtain pulled around Hayden's bed while Orion and Ron helped Hayden into his pajamas. It was difficult not to feel nauseous at the sight of the rubbery, boneless arm. As Orion pulled Hayden's limp fingers through the cuff, he looked up and met Hayden's gaze. Emerald met hazel for only a moment before the hazel eyes widened.

"I never noticed it before," Hayden said softly. "Your eyes—they're like my mum's."

Orion stared at Hayden with a raised eyebrow. That had certainly been the last thing he had expected to hear. "Green is a popular eye color, Hayden," Orion said with a shrug as he helped Hayden into bed.

"I don't know how you can stick up for Lockhart now, Hermione," Ron said as Hermione and Madam Pomfrey came around the screen. There was a large bottle of Skele-Gro in Madam Pomfrey's hand. "If Hayden had wanted a deboning he would have asked."

Hermione glared at Ron. "Anyone can make a mistake," she said indignantly. "And it doesn't hurt—"

"—Hermione, don't finish that," Orion warned. "The man is a complete idiot. If the Potters wanted, they could sue Lockhart in front of the Wizengamot for attacking Hayden."

Hermione gasped. "They wouldn't!" she exclaimed, scandalized. She received four glares as an answer. Clearly defending Lockhart wasn't the smartest thing to do at the moment.

With great reluctance, Hayden took his required dose of Skele-Gro, nearly gagging at the foul taste in the process. As Madam Pomfrey retreated to her office, the Gryffindor Quidditch team arrived, still filthy and soaking wet. Angelina had thankfully retrieved Hayden's broom before any damage had been done to it. They quickly revealed that the Slytherin team wasn't too happy with Draco at the moment for not noticing the Snitch flying right by his ear. They also expressed their appreciation to Orion…repeatedly.

Orion had been relieved when they left. There hadn't been much time to discuss the Bludger before Madam Pomfrey came back to kick them out but Orion had managed to convey his belief everything that was happening was somehow connected. It wasn't a coincidence that Hayden seemed to be in the center of everything. If only they could get their hands on that house elf…

* * *

The following morning had brought about shock after shock. News had quickly spread that the 'Heir of Slytherin' had attacked again and this time had petrified Colin Creevey. Suddenly the threat seemed so much more real. Students were actually in danger. To make matters worse, as soon as Hayden found the four Gryffindor second years, he revealed that Dobby the house elf had paid him a visit last night. It had been Dobby who had sealed the barrier and caused the Bludger to go after Hayden.

However, Dobby's visit had actually been a blessing in disguise. Dobby had accidentally revealed that the Chamber had been opened once before. That revelation sent Orion and Hermione off to the library in hope to find more information. If the Chamber had been opened before then that meant it had been closed before. For some reason, Orion had a feeling that the rumor of Voldemort being the heir of Slytherin was somehow linked to the previous opening of the Chamber but there was no record of Voldemort until he started wreaking havoc on the wizarding world.

That certainly complicated everything.

Informing Sirius of the latest developments had been hard but necessary. As expected, Sirius had arrived at Hogwarts early Monday morning for another talk with Professor Dumbledore. Orion could only hope that some sort of solution could be reached. The first years had resorted to moving around the castle in groups in hope that they wouldn't be next. Ginny Weasley was completely distraught. All of the Weasley brothers were doing what they could to cheer her up but nothing seemed to help. Orion even suggested for Hermione to talk to her but Ginny refused to say anything.

Orion had learned about the 'changes' agreed upon by Professor Dumbledore and his father by accident. He had emerged from Gryffindor Tower early one morning for another round of research in the library to see a group of exhausted Aurors leaving Hogwarts. So the search for the Chamber of Secrets had begun. Orion didn't know how he felt about that. Having Aurors actually looking around Hogwarts was the icing on the cake. They were all in danger and no one knew how to stop it.

With the arrival of December, fear and suspicions were still running high. Orion had given up the search for Voldemort's alter ego until he had the chance to sit down and talk to his father and uncle face to face. Wanting to know more about Voldemort wasn't something that could be written in a letter or discussed through a mirror.

The mood at Hogwarts shifted drastically at the announcement posted on the notice board in the Entrance Hall of a Dueling Club starting. Orion, Neville and Hayden could barely hold in their excitement. This was the chance to improve on the basics Sirius had taught them over the summer. The only question was who would be teaching them. Many hoped that it would be Professor Flitwick since he was a well known dueling champion.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. When they entered the Great Hall at eight o'clock that evening, it was difficult to not notice the deep plum robes worn by Gilderoy Lockhart. Letting out a resigned sigh, Orion led the way to the golden stage that had replaced the long dining tables. _So much for an actual learning experience._

The chatter quickly extinguished as Lockhart walked onto the stage with Professor Snape accompanying him. "Gather round, gather round!" Lockhart called out. "Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

Hayden let out a snort while Neville ran a weary hand down his face. It was clear that the three of them shared the same thought. This was going to be a complete waste of time.

"Now," Lockhart continued cheerfully, "Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions—for full details, see my published works. Let me introduce you to my assistant, Professor Snape. He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry—you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, ever fear!"

"Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered from behind Orion and Hayden.

"I would settle on Professor Snape humiliating Lockhart," Orion whispered back, noticing the scathing look on Snape's face. "At least Professor Snape knows what he's doing."

Silence filled the room as Lockhart and Professor Snape turned to face each other and bowed although Professor Snape's was barely noticeable. A tense eagerness swelled as wands rose in unison almost like swords in front of them. Orion took the opportunity to examine their stances. Lockhart's was almost comical. It looked as if he were posing for a portrait. Professor Snape's stance, on the other hand, was relaxed but ready as if he knew he would have to move at a moment's notice.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart instructed the crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill of course."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Neville whispered to Orion as he jerked his head to Professor Snape who was baring his teeth angrily.

"One…two…three…"

In a blink of an eye, it was over. Both of them had swung their wands above their heads and pointed them to their opponent. Professor Snape had cried, "_Expelliarmus_!" causing a flash of scarlet light just before Lockhart was thrown backwards off the stage, into the wall and slid down until he hit the floor. The Slytherins cheered and Orion couldn't keep the grin from appearing on his face. _Couldn't happen to a bigger prat._

"Do you think he's all right?" Hermione squealed worriedly as she danced on her tiptoes.

Orion, Neville and Hayden shared a look. "Who cares?" they said together as Lockhart unsteadily rose to his feet looking a little disheveled.

"Well, there you have it!" Lockhart said loudly as he stumbled back on the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm—as you see, I've lost my wand—ah, thank you Miss Brown—yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy—however, I felt it would be instructive to let the see…"

Orion cringed as Professor Snape looked livid. Oh, Lockhart would be paying for that.

"Enough demonstrating!" Lockhart said abruptly. "I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me…"

As they moved through the crowd, Orion, Neville, Hayden, and Ron tried to remain together but it seemed that Lockhart and Professor Snape had other plans. Neville was paired with Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hermione was paired with Millicent Bulstrode, Ron was paired with Seamus, Orion was paired with Dean, and Hayden was paired with Draco. They had reluctantly separated but not before Orion had managed to warn Hayden to be on guard. Draco would use anything he could to his advantage.

"Face your partners!" Lockhart called out from the platform. "And bow!"

Orion bowed and Dean copied him.

"Wands at the ready!" Lockhart shouted. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents—only to disarm them—we don't want any accidents—one…two…three…"

Orion disarmed Dean with ease, catching Dean's wand as it sailed through the air. It was hard to refrain from laughing at Dean's dumbfounded look as Orion tossed the wand back in order to let Dean try which wasn't too successful. Orion tried to walk Dean through the proper way to disarm but it was difficult with all of the shouting.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted.

Orion looked around and saw that only a few pairs were actually working on the Disarming Charm. Draco and Hayden had hexed each other, Ron's hair had turned pink and Hermione was in what looked like a wrestling match with Millicent. Neville was currently holding Justin's wand in his hand with a proud look on his face.

"Stop! Stop!" Lockhart screamed but no only listened.

Finally, Professor Snape took charge. "_Finite Incantatem_!" he shouted and everything slowly returned to normal.

"Dear, dear," Lockhart said as maneuvered through the crowd. "Up you go, Macmillan…Careful there Miss Fawcett…Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second. I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells." Lockhart's gaze shifted to Professor Snape for only a moment before looking away. "Let's have a volunteer pair—Weasley and Finnegan, how about you—"

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," Professor Snape interrupted. "Weasley's wand is a trip to the hospital wing waiting to happen. How about Black and Thomas or perhaps Malfoy and Potter?"

"An excellent idea! Potter, Malfoy!" Lockhart said then turned to Hayden and Draco and motioned for them to move to the middle of the hall.

Orion quickly stepped forward and blocked Hayden's path. "Remember to protect yourself, Hayden," he whispered. "Draco will always try for the easy victory. Have the Shield Charm on the tip of your tongue to be used at a moment's notice."

Hayden nodded and followed Draco to where the crowd had backed away to give them room. Neville, Hermione, Ron, and Justin joined Orion near the front as Lockhart moved to Hayden's side to pass on some 'words of wisdom'. Orion nearly groaned as Lockhart dropped his wand and knew that Professor Snape's advice to Draco would undeniably be more beneficial. He could only hope that Hayden would follow the right advice.

Finally, Lockhart and Professor Snape moved away. "Three—two—one—go!" Lockhart shouted.

Draco raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "_Serpensortia_!" There was an explosion at the end of his wand as a long black snake shot out of it. There were screams as the snake landed heavily onto the floor between them and raised itself, ready to strike. Hayden looked extremely nervous but his wand never wavered as he quickly cast a Shield Charm. At least he was protected from the snake.

As the crowd moved back hastily, Professor Snape stepped forward. "Don't move, Potter," he said lazily. "I'll get rid of it—"

"Allow me!" Lockhart shouted as he waved his wand at the snake. There was a loud bang causing many to jump as the snake flew ten feet into the air and fell back down, landing with a loud _smack_. That had certainly been the thickest thing anyone could have done. The snake was now outraged and started slithering straight for Justin. No one moved as it raised itself, fangs exposed, poised to strike.

No one but Orion.

Orion had no idea why he did it but before he knew what he was doing, he had jumped in front of Justin, pushing him to the floor as his right shoulder screamed in pain…pain that was quickly spreading. Everything seemed to become distorted as Orion felt himself land on the floor. Time seemed to slow as the pain overpowered him, making even the simplest functions difficult. Orion felt the pain increase as he was slowly rolled over onto his back.

Pain filled green met concerned black. Those eyes were the last thing Orion saw before darkness claimed him.


	8. Tom Marvolo Riddle

Chapter 8

Tom Marvolo Riddle

Voices swam over him, poking and taunting him to wake when he only wanted to remain in his bubble of safety. There was no pain in the bubble. No worries and no one attempting to kill anyone. Unfortunately, like most bubbles, the one Orion was in was bound to pop sooner or later. The voices seemed to insist that it was sooner rather than later.

"_What were you thinking, Severus_? _No second year would have been able to banish a snake—_"

"—_Black would have. You don't see what I see. Potter has become dependent on Black. He expects Black to do all of the work for him._"

"_Severus—_"

"_Potter needs to learn that Black won't always be there to save him if he will ever be able to do what you expect him to do._"

"_Severus, they are children. You need to give Hayden time. His parents—_"

"_Are fools for believing that the boy could ever have a normal life._"

Consciousness was coming within reach. Orion could feel it. He could also feel a larger hand holding his as a thumb caressed the back of his hand in a soothing manner. Groaning, Orion turned onto his side as a soft chuckle filled his ears. He knew that chuckle and forced his eyes to slowly open to see Remus smiling at him. To say that Orion was surprised was an understatement. He had expected his father to be arranging for his departure.

"Good morning, cub," Remus said softly as he leaned forward slightly. "I must say, you certainly like to keep us on our toes, don't you?"

Orion rolled his eyes as he rolled back onto his back. "What was I supposed to do?" he asked tiredly. "Justin would have been bit—"

"—I'm only joking, Ori," Remus said gently. "We know it was an accident. That's the only reason your father isn't here demanding that you come home. I'll admit he isn't too happy with Severus at the moment although it's because of Severus that you're even awake this soon." At Orion's confused look, Remus continued, "Severus was the one who brought you to Poppy so quickly. Rumor has it that he actually carried you from the Great Hall."

Orion cringed. He had a feeling that he would never live that down.

"Don't worry about it, Ori," Remus said with a smile. "I think people were more worried about you being bitten by a poisonous snake. You just missed Neville and Hermione. They had hoped you would have been up in time for classes. Neville was a little disappointed that Herbology was canceled this morning."

Orion couldn't help smiling. Only Neville would be disappointed about missing out on freezing in the greenhouses, not that Orion could blame him. Herbology was Neville's pride and joy at Hogwarts. Orion had a feeling he would act the same way if they ever had a Defense Against the Dark Arts class that was worthwhile.

Remus' face suddenly became serious. "Well, I have to admit that that there is more than one reason I'm here," he said softly. "I thought it was best to warn you that we will be having a visitor on Christmas. Your father has met someone and wants to 'surprise' you Christmas morning."

Orion sat up so quickly that a flash of dizziness washed over him. "Dad has a girlfriend?" he asked incredulously. "When did this happen?"

Remus chuckled. "Apparently it's been a work in progress for some time now," he said with a shrug. "I think Padfoot was afraid it wouldn't work out at first so he didn't want you to get attached and didn't want me to tease him. Her name's Evelyn Smith and she works with your father. That's how they met, actually. They were assigned to work on a few cases together."

Orion couldn't grasp the fact that his father, the man who had always been a proud bachelor, had a girlfriend. He also couldn't deny that it hurt his father hadn't confided in him. They had always told each other everything—well, almost anything. That had been something Sirius Black had always insisted on.

"Well, I just thought you should be warned," Remus continued carefully. "She's been over a few times for dinner. Very cheerful and a good sense of humor. I believe she has a nephew here in your year—Zacharias if I remember correctly."

Orion remembered the name. Zacharias was one of the few Hufflepuffs in his year that he wasn't good friends with. Thinking about it, Orion had to admit that Justin and Ernie had actually never talked about their dorm mates. They really didn't talk about anything serious at least until the rumors began about Hayden being the heir of Slytherin.

"Does she mind that Dad's a dad?" Orion asked softly.

Remus smiled sympathetically. "Actually, she's asked about you every time I've seen her," he said evenly. "Mostly to ask if everything your father has said about you is true."

Orion felt his face flush. He could only imagine what stories his father had made up.

Their conversation was brought to an abrupt halt when the doors swung open to reveal Professor Sinistra, Professor Flitwick and Madam Pomfrey bringing in someone on a stretcher as well as a black and smoky Nearly Headless Nick who seemed to be frozen, floating immobile six inches off the floor. Orion felt a protective arm wrap around him as he caught a glimpse of who was on the stretcher.

It was Justin Finch-Fletchley. The heir of Slytherin had struck again.

"What do you need us to do, Poppy?" Professor Sinistra asked quickly.

"There isn't much that can be done until the Mandrake Draught is ready," Madam Pomfrey answered with a sigh. "All we can do is put him with Mr. Creevey so his state doesn't frighten the students."

Orion couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of Justin's rigid body or the look of shock frozen on his face. Everything suddenly felt so much more real and threatening. It hadn't been a one-time thing. The attacks would continue until the mysterious heir of Slytherin was caught. One of his friends had now been attacked. Anyone could be next. Was this how all of the Muggle-borns felt? Was this how Hermione felt?

In a blink of an eye, everything had changed. Remus had left to inform Sirius after instructing Orion to stay in the hospital wing until further notice. That was probably the worst thing Remus could have done. Orion was stuck in a room with nothing to do and no one to talk to. He had never felt so helpless before. He could only imagine what Ernie, Susan and Hannah were going through, not to mention Cedric. He had taken to looking out for the younger Hufflepuffs after the attack on Colin Creevey.

The sight of Sirius Black entering the hospital wing an hour later did little to ease Orion's nerves. In fact, it only made them worse. Orion knew what was coming. He was being pulled out of Hogwarts for his own safety. At least that was what his father would tell him.

Pleading green met stern grey. "Don't even try, Ori," Sirius said stubbornly. "Come along. We're going to the Gryffindor Tower so you can pack your things. Remus is with Dumbledore discussing a home schooling program for you—"

"—but I can't leave!" Orion protested. "Dad, my friends are here! I can't leave them now!"

Sirius leaned forward so he and Orion were face to face. "This is not up for negotiation," he said sternly. "Once news of this attack gets out, I have a feeling that other students will be removed. Do you have any idea how close you were to being labeled the heir of Slytherin? If that snake—"

"—but it didn't," Orion hissed. "Dad, please! I know to be careful. Would you abandon Moony if you were in my place?"

Sirius cringed. "This is completely different!" he insisted. "Our lives were never threatened—"

"—spending the full moons with a werewolf wasn't dangerous?" Orion countered angrily. "If something had gone wrong—"

"—Orion Alexander!" Sirius scolded as he brought himself up to full height. "I have made my decision! I don't care if you agree with me or not. You will be coming home as soon as you are packed. Now, go change."

Grudgingly, Orion changed into his clothes from the previous day and followed Sirius to the Gryffindor Tower. He couldn't believe it. How could his father do this to him? How could he not understand how important it was to help prove that Hayden wasn't the heir of Slytherin? Leaving now would only make everything worse, especially since Orion had often found himself as the voice of reason for every insane idea Hayden and Ron proposed to try to solve the mystery.

They reached Gryffindor Tower sooner than Orion would have liked. He didn't spare Sirius a glance as he gave the password and stepped into the Common Room. He didn't say a word as he hurried up the stairs. He didn't trust himself to say anything at the moment considering the mood his father was in. His only hope was to convince Remus of how irrational Sirius was being and together they could find some way to overrule the decision.

Entering the second year dorm room, Orion was partially relieved to find it empty. He didn't think he would be able to face his friends. He was abandoning them when they needed him the most because his father didn't trust him. What had been the point of all of his lessons if he wasn't allowed the chance to apply them?

Orion had nearly finished packing when the door opened to reveal Neville, Hermione, Hayden and Ron rushing into the room. It was extremely difficult to continue packing his trunk and ignore them jumping onto his four poster bed.

"We saw Sirius," Hayden began quickly. "I guess you heard about Justin and Nearly Headless Nick."

Orion nodded as he packed his journals.

There was an uncomfortable silence before Neville spoke up. "Your dad's pulling you out, isn't he?" At Orion's continued silence, Neville continued, "I thought so. I guess it's only a matter of time before Mum and Dad pull me out too."

"I can't believe this," Hermione said miserably. "How could your father do this, Orion? Doesn't he realize how important your education is?"

Neville and Hayden snorted. "Hermione, you know Ori's years ahead of us," Hayden pointed out. "Who do you think taught him?"

Hermione flushed as Orion closed his trunk and locked it. That was the largest problem. Orion couldn't use the education excuse especially considering the farce that was Defense Against the Dark Arts. If anything, Orion would probably learn more at home since he would be focusing on the fifth year material but that wasn't the point.

"Do you think your dad would let you come over for Christmas?" Hayden asked quietly causing Orion to quickly look up at him in surprise. "I know you don't like my parents but I know Rose wants to see you again."

Orion didn't know what to say. Visiting Rose would be great…if she were anywhere _but_ Potter Manor. Avoiding Mr. and Mrs. Potter at all costs had so far been the way the Black family had handled the situation. Orion didn't have any intention of changing that any time soon. "I really don't know, Hayden," he answered evasively. "I'll send you an owl after everything settles down. Hopefully I can find out more about the heir of Slytherin from the Black family library. The family was completely devoted to Slytherin house for generations."

Hermione's eyes widened as she leaned forward eagerly. "I'll check out a few more books on possible ways to petrify someone," she said quickly. "Send Hedwig if you find anything."

"I'll check through my family library too," Neville added. "I don't think I'll find anything but it doesn't hurt to try, right?"

Hayden bit his lower lip nervously. "Maybe I should ask Mum and Dad what they know," he offered.

Ron snorted. "Do you really think your parents would tell you if you asked them?" he asked dryly. Hayden's shoulders sagged as everyone glared at Ron. "What?" Ron asked in confusion. "I know my parents wouldn't tell me anything about it. They'd probably scold me for sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."

"Mine would probably do the same," Neville admitted. "Most parents wouldn't give a group of second years a chance. They probably figure that if Professor Dumbledore can't stop the attacks then what chance do we have?"

There was a knock at the door. Everyone turned to see Dean poking his head in. "Orion?" Dean said nervously. "Er—you're dad's waiting."

Resigned to his fate, Orion shrunk his trunk with a flick of his wand, pocketed it and followed Dean down the stairs to the Common Room. It was difficult to ignore the stares and whispers but Orion didn't have much of a choice. He bid his friends a quiet farewell and followed his father out of Gryffindor Tower. It was easier to ignore the glances his father kept casting his way with each step they took. By the time they reached the large stone gargoyle blocking the staircase to Professor Dumbledore's office, Orion had plan formed in his mind. He knew what to say to Moony to prove that Sirius had finally gone over the edge.

Entering Professor Dumbledore's office, Orion had to admit that he had never seen his grandfather look so old. Not much was said as Sirius informed Dumbledore that the investigations would resume as soon as the train left for the holidays. It would be easier to once again search every nook and cranny without a castle full of children. Orion quickly realized what the upcoming weeks would entail. He would be locked away in Black Manor with Remus while Sirius tore Hogwarts apart to find the Chamber of Secrets.

Perhaps it would be easier finding information about Voldemort's past than he originally thought.

Orion was the first to floo out of Professor Dumbledore's office and into the dimly lit living room at Black Manor. He didn't waste any time before hurrying to the Black family library. Considering as obsessed as the Black family had been on being pureblood in the past, there had to be at least one book on ancestry to give him a hint of where to look.

It was quickly proven, however, that the search for Slytherin's heir wasn't going to be easy. The last known descendant with any possible ties to Slytherin was a bloke by the name of Gaunt over a hundred years ago. There had been a notation that Marvolo Gaunt had attended Hogwarts but nothing after that. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

"Orion? Orion, I know you're in here. You know you can't hide from me."

Orion nearly dropped the book he was paging through. He hadn't expected Remus to search him out so soon. He had thought that he would have a few hours at the very least before he was forced to talk about what happened, not that there was much to discuss.

Before Orion had a chance to respond to Remus' call, Remus reached the stacks he was sitting by with sympathetic look on his face. Words seemed to fail Orion as he watched Remus sitting down on the floor beside him. He was torn between crying out in injustice and pleading for understanding.

"Your dad's back a work and will probably be there until late," Remus said softly. "I'm supposed to make you understand everything from his point of view." At Orion's hurt look, Remus continued. "Of course I have no intention of doing that and I told your father as much. I don't agree with him forcefully pulling you out of school. I know it's dangerous there; more dangerous than it ever was when we attended. Someone or something is in Hogwarts, attacking the children. Any parent would be justified in removing their child from that situation."

Orion scowled. "I thought you weren't taking Dad's side," he muttered bitterly.

"I'm not," Remus assured quickly. "Ori, you're not like most kids. From a young age, you were taught how to handle yourself in a stressful situation and how to magically defend yourself. Your father and I did that so that you wouldn't make the same mistakes we did. The problem is that your father has forgotten why you're so advanced in your magical education. He's so worried about protecting you that he doesn't realize that you could be his greatest asset."

Orion had to admit that Remus had a very good point. He was his father's eyes inside Hogwarts. He had been the one to keep his father informed. "So how do I make Dad see that I can help?" he asked.

Remus let out a sigh as he wrapped an arm around Orion's shoulders. "That, my dear Shadow, is a very good question," he admitted. "When your father is concerned, it is often best for him to realize his own mistakes but I have a feeling that you would be stuck here for a long time if we did that. For now, let me see what I can do." He glanced down at the large book in Orion's hands. "So, what is so important that you are able to spend hours researching without a sound?"

Orion's eyes widened. Had hours actually passed since he had returned home? "I guess I lost track of the time," he said sheepishly. "I'm trying to find out about the heir of Slytherin and who Voldemort was before he became 'Voldemort'. I couldn't find anything about him until he started his rise for power so I know that's not his real name."

Remus slowly closed his eyes as he leaned back against the book stack. "I had hoped you would be a little older when this topic came up but I guess there's no delaying it now," he said softly. "Voldemort was born Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was named after his muggle father and his magical grandfather, Marvolo Gaunt, who happened to be a descendent of Slytherin. His father allegedly abandoned his mother, Merope, while she was pregnant because he found out she was a witch. No one really knows what happened but there were rumors in Tom Riddle, Sr.'s hometown that Tom had been bewitched or hoodwinked leading us to believe that Merope used magical means to ensnare the man she loved."

Orion stared at Remus with wide eyes. "Like a spell or potion?" he asked.

Remus nodded. "A love potion would certainly be easier than any spell especially when a Muggle is involved," he said patiently. "Well, Merope didn't handle the rejection well. She gave into her despair and died not long after giving birth to the baby, leaving her son to be raised in the orphanage he was born in."

"She gave up?" Orion asked in horror. "How could she do that to a baby?"

Remus' face turned sympathetic. "Her heart was broken, Ori," he said. "The man she loved more than life itself wanted nothing to do with her. She was left with no money, no place to go and a baby that would serve as a constant reminder of that heartbreak. At least she managed to find an orphanage so her child would be taken care of."

"What about her dad?" Orion offered. "He would have helped her, right?"

Remus flinched slightly. "Orion, Marvolo Gaunt and his son Morfin hated Muggles. Marvolo was a firm believer in pureblood supremacy. They even served time in Azkaban for actions taken against Muggles and the Ministry. If Merope would have gone back to them with a baby from a Muggle once they had been released…I can't imagine what they would have done to either of them."

Orion stared down at the book in his hands. The more he heard about devoted purebloods the more he hated them. He didn't know what he would do if his father hadn't broken away from the Black family ideals. _I'd probably be best friends with Draco and training to serve Voldemort_. The mere thought made Orion shudder.

"So, Voldemort _is_ the heir of Slytherin," Orion said at last.

Remus slowly nodded. "As far as we know, Morfin never had any children and Voldemort would only see a child as a threat to his quest for power. Another piece of evidence in favor of Voldemort is that the last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened Voldemort was a student at Hogwarts. He was actually the one who was awarded for catching the one who had behind it the first time after a student had been murdered."

Orion's eyes widened. "Who was it?" he asked eagerly. He couldn't believe that Remus had known everything all along. So much could have been avoided if Remus had just spoken up.

"Hagrid," Remus said with a straight face.

Orion stared at Remus for a long moment before realizing that Remus wasn't joking but that was ridiculous. How could anyone ever believe that someone like Hagrid could ever hurt anyone? "But he was proven innocent, right?" Orion asked hopefully.

Remus tilted his head back against the stack as he let out a long breath. "The 'evidence' was rather damaging," he answered softly. "He had been caught by Riddle with a dangerous creature in his possession. The creature managed to flee the school but the attacks stopped after that so everyone figured that the danger had passed. Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts and life went on."

"But how can anyone believe that Hagrid—"

"—because they needed someone to blame, Ori," Remus interrupted patiently. "Hagrid had an interest in dangerous creatures even when he was a teenager."

Orion didn't like it but he could understand how the Ministry could have made the mistake, especially considering that the attacks had stopped after Hagrid was expelled. "So how long have you known about this?" he asked suspiciously.

Remus smiled knowingly. "What do you think I've been doing ever since your father told me about the first attack?" he asked. "Your grandfather provided me with the basic information and I took it a step further. Things have changed now, Orion. We know that Voldemort is out there somewhere and has somehow managed to open the Chamber of Secrets once again. We're still trying to figure out how he's doing it because, from what we know, Voldemort is currently far from Hogwarts."

"But only Voldemort knows where the Chamber is, right?" Orion prodded. "That's what Dad's been doing at Hogwarts all those nights—searching for the Chamber. How can we stop the attacks when we can't find where they're originating from?"

Remus met Orion's gaze with a look on his face that Orion had never seen before. "That, Orion, is the question," he said seriously.

Suddenly, everything seemed so much grimmer. If the Chamber of Secrets couldn't be found before the next attack, Orion knew that the Governors of Hogwarts would push for drastic measures to be taken which included possibly closing the school. That was probably the worst thing that could happen. By closing the school, the attacks would probably branch out into the wizarding world. No one would be safe. As harsh as it sounded, providing targets at Hogwarts kept the 'horror' contained.

As much as it hurt to admit it, Orion finally understood why his father was acting so severely.

* * *

A/N: I hate to do this but there may be delays with the upcoming chapters. Real life is pulling at all sides that the chapters just aren't coming as fast as I would like. I promise the updates will come. They just won't be as predictable as they have been. 


	9. Two Heads are Better than One

Chapter 9

Two Heads are Better than One

For the first time, Orion didn't care about making progress in his studies. His attention was completely focused on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets. He had become Remus' unofficial assistant to help with documenting the information coming in. It was common for Orion to find himself home alone throughout the day when Remus left for his meetings with Sirius, Professor Dumbledore and his source at the Ministry but Orion barely noticed. Every time Remus came back, there were stacks of parchment for him to sort which kept him busy from early in the morning to late at night. It was long and frustrating but it had to be done.

In addition to the work he was doing for Remus, Orion had a scroll of parchment containing what he believed was the most important information which included what he had learned of the student murdered the last time the Chamber was opened. Not much had been released about who actually died except that it had been a Muggle-born girl who was found in a bathroom physically unharmed. That set Orion off in another round of research. The Ministry had been more focused on the monster aspect fifty years ago. Perhaps he needed to do the same. Figuring out what 'horror' was hidden within the Chamber could lead to discovering who was behind letting it loose.

In addition to everything else, Orion had tried to send word to his friends but he was at a loss at what to say. He had never been told that he couldn't pass on what he had learned but knew that some form of secrecy was necessary. Orion had a feeling that the Ministry didn't want the public to panic with the possibility that Voldemort was once again at Hogwarts without solid proof, which meant that the Minister of Magic would have to see Voldemort standing in front of him for that to happen.

A loud crack quickly snapped Orion out of his thoughts. Turning around, Orion let out a relived sigh at the sight of Mindy nervously pulling her ears. "Young Master has firecall," she squeaked softly. "Young Master's Potter boy won't listen to Mindy. Mindy try. Mindy tell young Master's Potter boy young Master busy but—"

"—it's all right, Mindy," Orion interrupted gently. "I know Hayden can be persistent when he wants to be. I'm due for a break anyways." Rubbing his tired eyes, Orion ignored Mindy vanishing with a loud crack then rose to his feet and made his way to the living room. He couldn't believe that Hayden was contacting him from Hogwarts.

Entering the living room, Orion came to an abrupt halt at the sight of Hayden's head floating in the fireplace. From the way Hayden was shifting around, it was obvious that he had been waiting a while. Orion could only imagine what Mindy had put him through trying to obey the orders he had given her not to disturb him.

"Orion!" Hayden exclaimed as soon as he noticed Orion's presence. "Thank Merlin. We've been so worried. Can I come through?"

Orion stared at Hayden incredulously. "I don't think you should, Hayden," he answered cautiously. "The wards at Hogwarts—"

"—Ori, don't you know what day it is?" Hayden interrupted. "We're on holiday now. The Aurors practically pushed all of us onto the train early this morning so they could begin their investigations. We tried to get your dad's attention but he was too busy talking to Dumbledore and McGonagall. So—what have you been doing for the past week?"

Orion shrugged as he approached the fireplace. "Research for my dad and uncle," he said honestly. "I found out that Voldemort is indeed the Heir of Slytherin. That's why Dad's so overprotective. He thinks Voldemort's behind the attacks somehow which means he could want revenge against us for stopping him in June."

Hayden bit his lower lip nervously. "Can I please come through, Ori?" he asked. "My knees are killing me."

Orion nodded and stepped back as Hayden's face disappeared only to be replaced by the flames turning green and Hayden stumbling out, nearly falling on his face in the process. Luckily, Hayden managed to regain his footing and immediately started brushing the soot off of him. As soon as he looked up at Orion, however, any sort of smile was replaced by a frown.

"Er—is everything okay?" Hayden asked carefully. "Remus won't mind that I'm here, right?"

Orion let out a sigh. "Remus isn't here at the moment," he admitted. "I don't know when he'll be back."

Hayden stared at Orion as he sat down in the nearest armchair. "They just left you here?" he asked incredulously.

Orion bristled. "Mindy and Toby are here," he shot back. "I'm not some little kid that needs an adult to watch everything thing I do—"

"—I never said that—"

"—because my family isn't like that," Orion continued fiercely. "My dad and uncle are doing what they can to keep us safe. If that means I'm left home alone a little more than normal then that's the price I have to pay. That's the way it's always been."

Hayden quickly raised his hands in a sign of surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it, Ori," he assured quickly. "It's just—well—it must be lonely all alone here."

Orion's shoulders slumped as all of the fire to defend his father and uncle left him. It could be lonely from time to time but that's the way it had to be so what was the point complaining? Sacrifices needed to be made to ensure that Voldemort's second reign would be nowhere near as bad as the first. That was why Sirius worked so hard to capture as many of Voldemort's followers as possible. That was why he made an effort to get his foot into any investigation involving Voldemort.

Hayden rose to his feet, approached Orion and slung an arm around Orion's shoulders. "Look, I told my dad that I would probably be over for a few hours so the way I see it, we have two options," he said optimistically. "One, you can take a break from your research and we can talk about anything but the Chamber of Secrets. Or two, I can help you in any way I can. It's your choice. I would offer to fire call Neville but I know he's leaving for a family trip."

Orion vaguely remembered Neville mentioning a trip to Romania to meet with some Healers that could possibly improve Mr. Longbottom's condition. Unfortunately, the craziness of the attacks pushed any thought of the holidays out of their minds. _Especially for my family._

"Ori?" Hayden prodded.

Orion ran a hand tiredly over his face. "I really need to finish before Remus returns," he answered at last before leading the way to the library. "The sooner we can get to the bottom of this the sooner the attacks stop and the sooner I can go back to Hogwarts."

"Do you really think it'll come to that?" Hayden asked quickly.

Orion shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly. "I don't know how far my dad will take this," he admitted. "I guess it depends on how the investigation goes and if we can find out more about who had been killed the last time the Chamber was opened."

Hayden suddenly came to an abrupt halt. "What?" in confusion.

Orion stopped walking and turned to face Hayden. It was a long moment before he understood Hayden's reaction. "Sorry," he said sincerely. "I've been going through so much information that I've forgotten what I have and haven't told you. Fifty years ago, the Chamber of Secrets was opened and a Muggle-born was killed. Tom Riddle was awarded for apprehending the culprit who was expelled. Since the victim was underage, her identity was never released."

Hayden blinked in amazement. "Who was expelled?" he asked excitedly.

Orion met Hayden's gaze for a long moment before answering. "Hagrid."

The look on Hayden's face was almost comical. "No way," Hayden said in disbelief. "There's no way anyone would believe that Hagrid is the heir of Slytherin."

"Just like there's no way anyone would believe you're the heir?" Orion countered then jerked his head towards the library. "Come on, you can read the notes I've made. Maybe together we can think of something."

For the next few hours, Hayden tried to help as much as he could but there was just so much that was still unknown. The girl's missing identity put an abrupt end to that possibility, documentation of Voldemort sightings ruled out him physically being at Hogwarts and there was absolutely no factual documentation of the Chamber of Secrets. Everything that they found was based on the 'legend' that many wizarding children grew up with, including what the 'horror within' could be.

The problem Orion was facing was that—as far as he knew—there wasn't any monster that could petrify someone without leaving a mark where their venom was injected. As ridiculous as it sounded, it was almost like the victims were frightened to the point of petrifaction. Whatever it was, it had to be extremely powerful to affect a ghost. There weren't many forces in the magical world that affect a ghost.

"Maybe we're doing this all wrong," Orion said quietly as he set his quill down.

Hayden immediately looked up from his parchment. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

Orion shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "There are just so many unknowns in this. We don't know where the Chamber is, how to open it or what's inside—including whatever's petrifying people. However, we know that 'the horror within' is able to affect a ghost. That excludes the majority of the known spells, every potion that I've ever heard of any sort of plant or creature—"

"—maybe not," Hayden countered softly. "What if Nick was only affected like he was because he was a ghost. He's already dead. You can't very well kill him again."

Orion frowned in thought. "But something alive could be killed," he mumbled before rising to his feet and moving towards an aisle of books. It was then that Orion was thankful that he knew the library as well as he did. It took him no time to find the large book that looked like it was on the verge of falling apart. Orion knew why. The book had been one of the first that Remus had used for reference when Orion started learning about magical creatures because of the illustrations were what Remus dictated as 'child friendly'.

"Ori?" Hayden called out curiously.

Orion immediately started flipping through the book while slowly walking towards Hayden. He didn't want to get his hopes up in the chance that his theory could be wrong. Magical creatures hadn't been covered often, only when Orion had learned that his uncle was a werewolf. He had been frightened at first until he had been taught that not all magical creatures were scary monsters. It had been difficult at first but how was a five-year-old with no memory supposed to act?

Finding the desired page, Orion glanced at the words before setting the book down on the table and turning it so Hayden could read. Hayden stared at Orion in confusion for a moment before flowing Orion's lead. Silence filled the room as Hayden's eyes ran over every word on the page. Before long, Hayden returned his gaze to Orion with a mixture of disbelief and fear on his face.

"A Basilisk?" Hayden asked. "You think there's a Basilisk in the school?"

Orion let out a tired sigh as he collapsed in his chair. "It's a possibility," he answered uncomfortably. "Think about it. Slytherin could talk to snakes so it would make sense that he would use the King of Serpents as his protector. Only a parselmouth can control it—like Voldemort."

Hayden looked skeptical. "I don't know, Ori," he said slowly. "How could something like a Basilisk live in the school for a thousand years and never be spotted by anyone?"

Orion frowned. "Well, the Chamber's only has been opened twice," answered. "I think it must need to be released by its 'Master'. It must fall into a hibernation state when the Chamber's closed. Just think about it. It can kill by looking at something in the eye. That's how the girl died fifty years ago and that's how Nearly Headless Nick was affected. He would have died if he could—"

"—but what about Mrs. Norris, Colin and Justin?" Hayden interrupted. "They're not dead."

Orion frowned in thought. Hayden had a point but Orion was certain that he was on the right track. "Maybe they didn't get the full blast of it," Orion offered. "I don't know. Do you have any better ideas?"

Hayden let out a sigh as his shoulders slumped. "No," he answered weakly. "I don't mean to be so negative but you know anyone you talk to will ask the same questions, right?"

Orion grudgingly nodded. The problem was that he was running out of ideas. Unless he found answers to the ever increasing questions, Orion had had a feeling that he wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts. Of course if Orion's theory had been right, it was highly probable that he would never be allowed to enter Hogwarts again.

A familiar voice quickly pulled Orion out of his thoughts. "Well, this is a surprise," an amused Remus commented as he came into view. "Good evening, Hayden. I hope that your parents do know that you're here."

Hayden quickly nodded. "I told my dad," he insisted. "Have you found out anything about who's behind opening the Chamber?"

Remus stared at Hayden with a raised eyebrow for a long moment before answering. "Actually, no, I haven't found anything about the Chamber of Secrets but I have learned a few more things about Voldemort," he said cautiously. "Does your father know why you're here?"

Hayden shrugged his shoulders. "I came over to check on Orion and decided to stay until someone came home so he wouldn't be alone."

"Hayden," Orion hissed through clenched teeth.

"What?" Hayden asked as he rose to his feet. "You may accept being left home alone for long periods of time but I don't. If you find yourself home alone again, let me know. We can hide out in my room so you don't have to talk to my parents, all right?"

Orion cast a nervous glance at Remus before returning his gaze to Hayden. "I appreciate the offer Hayden but really, I'm fine," he insisted. The last thing he needed was for Hayden to vent his frustrations to his parents. "I'll let you know if anything changes."

Hayden hesitated for only a moment before bidding farewell and leaving. Orion took the opportunity to begin cleaning up his work area, including the book on magical creatures. Until he had proof, the Basilisk idea would remain as a theory. _Just like everything else. This is starting to become hopeless._

A gentle hand rested on Orion's shoulder, halting his movements. "Ori, I'm sorry," Remus said softly. "Hayden's right. You shouldn't be left on your own like this. Please understand, we're doing this to keep you safe—"

"I know, Moony," Orion interrupted tiredly as he arranged the books into distinct piles. "I know you and Dad have responsibilities. That's why I've been trying to help. Hayden just doesn't understand. His parents don't work so he doesn't know what it's like."

"Ori—"

"It's _fine_," Orion insisted as he picked up his scroll of notes and one of the larger piles of books. "Look, I'm tired so maybe I'll see you in the morning. Just leave the information on the table and I'll start on it first thing."

Orion was partially grateful and partially hurt that Remus just let him leave the library. A part of him was relieved that an argument had been avoided while another part of him was disappointed that something like leaving him home with nothing other than house elves as company for days at a time wasn't important enough to become an argument.

That was what worried Orion the most. If his father and uncle were this busy now, what would it be like when Voldemort actually returned?

* * *

"_Sirius, please!_ _Something has to change. You didn't see the look on his face last night. He honestly believes that your job and my thirst for knowledge are more important than him._"

"_You're wrong. Ori's smarter than that. He knows we're doing this for him._"

"_Explain that to a twelve-year-old boy who feels the need to defend us for neglecting him. I can't do this anymore. I will help Orion finish up on documenting the research I've collected but after that I fully intend on ensuring that Orion enjoys the holidays before he returns to Hogwarts._"

"_Remus_—"

"—_no, Sirius._ _You have searched the entire school and have found nothing. I will not let you keep Orion locked up here until you feel it's safe enough. That day will only come when Voldemort is gone for good. We both know what's happening. It's only a matter of time before Voldemort manages to gain a body and you know who will be his first target. Hayden needs Orion in his life. Regardless of what you want, Orion will undoubtedly be in the thick of things._"

A loud sigh could be heard followed by a loud creak as the door to Orion's bedroom was slowly pushed open. "_Is it wrong for me to want to protect my son, Moony? I know it doesn't look like it but I am doing this for him. I'm trying to keep him safe._"

"_Just like Lily tried to keep 'Harry' safe? Sirius, your son adores you but if you keep pushing him, he will rebel. Is that what you want? Do you want him to run away like you did?_"

The bed shifted with the weight of someone sitting down. "_I don't think I can do it, Moony. How am I supposed to send him somewhere when I know something dangerous is there?_"

A hand rested on Orion's back before moving up to run through his hair. "_If it was anyone but Ori I'd be worried. We taught him how to handle this sort of thing. How many other kids contacted their parents, Sirius? How many of the Aurors had a twelve-year-old inside Hogwarts telling them what was really happening?_"

"_My son is not a spy, Remus! I refuse to put him in that position!_"

Orion let out a soft groan and buried his face into his pillow. The hand shifted to his right shoulder and squeezed it gently. That was the warning for Orion to remain complete still as a pair of lips brushed against his forehead. Orion found it strange that Sirius was always so affectionate when Orion wasn't able to complain or return the gesture.

"_I should get to work—_"

"—_Sirius_—"

"—_I won't be there for long. I need to finish up a few things before I tell Scrimgeour that I'm taking a few days off. Evie's probably already there._"

"_Sirius—_"

"_Nothing like that!_ _Bloody hell, Moony. Get your mind out of the loo. I figured I'd tell her to give it a few days before she came over to meet Ori._"

"_Rather remarkable that Christmas is in a few days, isn't it?_"

Orion let out another groan as he rolled onto his back and tiredly opened his eyes. "Dad?" he asked groggily. "Wha's goin' on?"

A strained smile graced Sirius' face as he brushed some fringe out of Orion's eyes. "Nothing, son," he said softly. "I'm sorry we woke you. Go back to sleep. We can talk when I get back from work, okay kiddo?"

Orion slowly nodded as his eyes slowly closed against his will. He couldn't explain why he was so tired but couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. "Get up soon," he murmured. "Work to do."

A loud sigh could be heard as Orion felt the bed shift before the bedcovers were pulled up to his chin. "Not anymore," Sirius whispered firmly. "We'll take care of it, Ori. I promise."

That was the last Orion heard before drifting off to dreamland feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time.

* * *

From that moment on, the atmosphere at Black Manor changed drastically. Both Sirius and Remus tried to keep Orion occupied with anything but the investigation of the Chamber of Secrets. It was uncomfortable at first with the tension between father and son but a few forced discussions with Remus as the negotiator helped immensely. Orion was still stubborn and Sirius as still overprotective but at least they could talk to each other without it resorting to a shouting match.

Orion had sent letters to Hayden, Hermione and Cedric, informing them that he would be returning to Hogwarts after the holidays. He knew better than to even consider sending Hedwig to Romania with a letter for Neville or Egypt with a letter for Ron. It was hard enough to send her out in freezing temperatures but Orion knew that Hedwig would certainly be offended if he even considered using any owl but her especially with how irritable she was after realizing Orion left Hogwarts without her.

Hayden's reply arrived before Hedwig had even returned by means of Hayden's brown owl, Archimedes. To say that Hayden was happy was an understatement. Half of his letter mentioned plans of Orion joining the Quidditch team as a 'precaution' to ensure the Gryffindor team won the Quidditch Cup again. Orion knew that the idea had probably come from Oliver and struggled to find a way to politely decline. He loved flying and Quidditch but so much had happened in the past few years for Orion to know that there were more important things than a game.

Cedric and Hermione's letters, however, were certainly more serious. Hermione went into excruciating detail of how everything seemed to change after he left. Draco took it upon himself to taunt Hayden and Neville since their 'protector' wasn't there to fight their battles for them, the Hufflepuffs were now more divided on whether they believed Hayden was the heir of Slytherin or not and the Gryffindors had become extremely defensive towards anyone saying anything about Hayden or Orion.

Of course, Cedric hadn't been so matter-of-factly in his letter but the overall point had been the same.

In what felt like no time, Christmas morning arrived and Orion woke to something wet and rough brushing against his face. Protesting loudly, Orion quickly pushed the large furry animal away, doing his best to dry his face. It had been a while since he had been woken up by Padfoot and had a feeling that this morning's wakeup alarm was largely due to the fact that company would be arriving shortly. Orion had received a warning the night before that his father was indeed dating a fellow Auror and Orion was to be on his best behavior when she arrived. That request earned odd looks from Orion and Remus who both believed that if anyone needed to be told to behave it was Sirius.

As soon as Orion sat up, Padfoot let out a loud bark before jumping off the bed and running out of the room. Orion took that as his cue to crawl out of bed and change clothes. It didn't matter that it was early Christmas morning. Pureblood customs deemed that introductions should be done in proper attire. The customs weren't often practiced in Black Manor since Sirius hated everything about them but they had been taught for a reason.

Orion had just finished tying his shoes when a loud _crack_ filled the air. Looking up, smiled at the sight of Toby standing in his doorway. "Happy Christmas, Toby," Orion said cheerfully. "Is Dad being impatient again?"

"Oh no, Young Master," Toby insisted. "Master's guest arrived and Master—"

"—I get it Toby," Orion interrupted dryly. That was the one problem with house elves in Orion's opinion. They didn't have a sense of humor. "I'll be down in a minute."

There was another _crack_ and Toby was gone. There was no point in wasting any more time. Grabbing his green dress robes, Orion ventured down to the living room, his stomach twisting in knots with every step. What if she didn't like him? What if she didn't like the fact that his father was a father and forced Sirius to choose?

No. That was ridiculous. Orion knew that the family they had now—father, son and uncle—were a team—three parts of a puzzle that could do anything as long as they stayed together and were honest with each other. Besides, she couldn't be _that_ bad if she liked Sirius Black—maybe a little wrong in the head but no one was perfect.

With a nervous breath, Orion stepped into the living room and cast a quick look around. Remus was sitting on an armchair facing two people sitting on a sofa couch. Sirius was sitting near the Christmas tree giving a clear view of the woman sitting beside him. She had long, dark brown hair that was pulled back out of her face to reveal high cheekbones, deep blue eyes and a smile that could light up the room.

Sirius was the first to notice Orion's presence and jumped to his feet. "Ori!" he said cheerfully and extended a hand to help the woman to her feet. "Son, I'd like to introduce you to Evelyn Smith. Evie, this is my son, Orion."

Evelyn turned to completely face Orion causing Orion's eyes to widen in shock. She looked exactly like the woman he saw in the Mirror of Erised last year, standing with him, his father and the boy that would have been his baby brother. How was that possible?

Sirius took a step forward. "Ori?" he asked slowly.

Orion swallowed, his eyes never leaving Evelyn. "H—have we met before?" he asked quietly.

Evelyn's eyes widened. "I can't believe you actually remember," she said in amazement. "It was about five years ago. Your father brought you to the office and you managed to wander off. I was one of the many that helped look for you. I managed to find you in the Atrium looking at the Fountain of Magical Brethren. I knelt down beside you and asked what you were doing and you just looked at me with your big green eyes and asked me why were the man and lady ignoring the creatures? I didn't know what to say so I told you that we should go ask your father."

Orion cast a quick glance at Sirius. He remembered the incident vaguely. I remembered being bored and wanting to explore. He also remembered being scolded afterwards but he didn't remember Evelyn's role in it and apparently Sirius didn't either.

"That was you?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to explain prejudice to a seven-year-old?"

Remus snorted. "Don't you even start, Sirius," he said dryly. "You left that explanation for me, remember?"

Sirius cringed. "Well, what was I supposed to do?" he asked feebly. "You're always better at that than me."

Evelyn took the opportunity to step away from Sirius and direct Orion towards the kitchen. "I think it would be best for us to give them a moment, Orion," she said softly. "I have a feeling this is going to take a while."

"But he's _your _son!" Remus shot back.

"Exactly!" Sirius insisted. "I want the best for him! You know what I had for parents! I was taught that prejudice was right!"

Orion let Evelyn usher him into the kitchen and close the door, muffling the growing argument. From the looks of things, Evelyn was accustomed to this sort of behavior which surprised Orion. Normally, the bickering was reserved for behind closed doors—unless it wasn't an actual argument which meant that a prank war would begin momentarily.

"So," Evelyn said cheerfully as she sat down at the table and Orion sat across from her. "I must say that I was rather nervous about today. I've heard quite a bit about you from your father and my nephew. Actually, you and Draco Malfoy seem to be the two students Zacharias complains about the most."

Orion's eyes widened in surprise. That was the last thing he ever expected to hear. "But I don't even know Zacharias," he protested.

Evelyn smiled. "I know," she said. "He complains of how the Malfoy boy gets away with everything and that the 'Gryffindor Genius' is the only one who will stand up to him."

Orion cringed at the nickname. He wasn't smart. He had just been practicing magic longer than the rest of the second years. Hermione was actually the one who could be categorized as a genius. She could learn so fast and remembered everything. Orion knew that he was half as smart as she was he would probably be on seventh year material instead of starting on fifth.

Evelyn leaned forward, her grin falling. "Orion, it's all right," she said seriously. "I know better than to believe everything my nephew tells me. He's a good kid but he can act like a spoiled brat from time to time, most pureblood children are. It's hard to go from being an only child to a setting like Hogwarts." Noticing Orion's frown, Evelyn continued. "What I mean is that I take everything Zacharias says with a grain of salt but…well…this really isn't going well, is it?"

Orion grinned. It was actually reassuring to know that she was just as nervous as he was. At least they were starting out on a common ground. "You really like my dad, don't you?" he asked curiously.

Evelyn's cheeks flushed. "Ah—well, I don't know how much you want to know, Orion," she said uncomfortably. "I like spending time with your dad. He can always make me laugh no matter what mood I'm in just like I try to make him see reason when he overreacts. You have no idea how long he fought with deciding on removing you from Hogwarts. He wanted to pull you out the moment you contacted him. Everyone at the office knows that you're Sirius' entire world and we all know that you're no ordinary boy. That's why there's so many of us willing to help whenever something comes up—like what happened in June, for example."

Orion avoided Evelyn's gaze as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. For some reason, that event seemed to follow him no matter what he did to forget about it.

The door opened, putting an abrupt end to the conversation. Turning around, Orion could only stare at the sight before him. Remus' skin was covered with red and green splotches and he was dressed in a Santa Claus outfit. Sirius, on the other hand, had flashing red hair sticking up on all ends and was dressed as one of Santa's helpers—a female version. It was a sight that Orion knew he could have lived three lifetimes without seeing. Evelyn immediately broke out into laughter with Orion following suit.

Despite everything happening around them, it was comforting to know that some things would never change which included a Christmas prank war.


	10. The Mysterious Diary of TM Riddle

Chapter 10

The Mysterious Diary of T.M. Riddle

With the passing of Christmas, everything seemed to turn around for the Black family. Remus once again took on the role of Orion's tutor to help Orion complete all of the schoolwork he had missed and helped with arranging the notes Orion had made concerning Voldemort's past. There had been no questions or words of caution concerning Orion's desire to know as much as possible about Voldemort which relieved Orion greatly. He couldn't explain it but deep down, Orion knew that Voldemort's past was important for the future.

Sirius tried to find a happy medium between working and spending time with Orion which was difficult because Rufus Scrimgeour, the Head of the Auror Office, and Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, were demanding answers due to the fact that there had been several intensive searches for the school and no results. Sirius tried to downplay the pressure but Orion knew that they were running out of time. If they didn't find the culprit soon, Orion had a feeling that the Ministry would take the most likely suspect with would unfortunately be Hagrid.

A welcomed addition to all the madness was Evelyn's visits. She normally stopped by for dinner even when Sirius was held up at the Ministry. As strange as it sounded, Orion quickly found himself looking forward to seeing her even though he didn't really know her that well. There was just something about Evelyn that Orion knew he could trust. In a matter of days, Orion could see why his father was smitten with her. It was just like Evelyn said. She could calm him down and he could make her laugh.

Orion could barely contain his excitement when the time to return to Hogwarts arrived. He had managed to squeeze everything into his trunk, including a few fifth year books Remus had picked up for him and a new journal that was dedicated to information on Voldemort. It was certainly better than trying to keep track of rolls of parchment. Remus had encouraged Orion's line of thinking, assuring that he would pass on any new information as long as Orion did the same.

Sirius just thought both of them were nutter and once again blamed Remus for turning his son into a bookworm although complaint wasn't as convincing as it had been in the past. Orion and Remus had a feeling that he wanted information about Voldemort as much as they did.

Orion was ecstatic to see Neville and Cedric step through the floo. Neville immediately began firing off questions, only stopping when Cedric cast took pity on Orion and cast a Silencing Charm. Of course that didn't get Orion out of answering the questions but at least he was able to speak. Compared with Neville's trip to Romania, Orion's extended stay at Black Manor was rather boring. Sure, he learned a lot but he had never left the walls of Black Manor. Neville had been to completely different country. Neville refused to say much but the smile on his face was all they needed to know that there had been at least some success.

Stepping through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾, Orion was glad they left as early as they did. He knew that Neville's badgering was nothing compared to what he would be subjected to on the Hogwarts Express. Everyone knew that he had been pulled out of school and everyone also knew that his father had been in charge of the investigation. Saying that he didn't know anything would probably only work for those who didn't know him well which unfortunately didn't include Neville, Hayden, Ron and Hermione.

Orion could foresee a headache coming with that conversation.

As Cedric and Neville hurried to the train to find compartments, Orion remained beside his father and uncle. It was easy to see that—even now—Sirius was battling the urge to take Orion home and lock him up until Hogwarts was completely safe again. The problem was that as long as hundreds of young witches and wizards were isolated in one place, Hogwarts would never be completely safe. Accidents and injuries were bound to happen.

After a moment of silence, Remus stepped forward and pulled Orion into an embrace. "Now be careful cub," he said softly, "and keep us informed of any new developments."

"I will," Orion quickly assured. At this point, he had no intention of pushing his luck. He was willing to do nearly anything just to go back to school.

As soon as Remus stepped back, Sirius had Orion in a fierce embrace, nearly preventing Orion's ability to breathe. "No wandering off by yourself, Ori," he said firmly. "Stay in groups and use your common sense, no matter what others may say."

Orion nodded obediently. He knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince Hermione, Hayden and Ron to put an end to their investigation. "You don't have to worry about me, Dad," Orion insisted. "I'll be good, I promise."

Sirius let out sigh before reluctantly releasing Orion. "I know. You always behave when you're not trying to protect everyone else."

Orion felt his face grow warm. He knew that Sirius had a point. He did have a habit of jumping into situations to help others. He never thought about it before since it had always come so natural to him. Besides, that was what the Aurors were taught and if he wanted to be an Auror…_but I'm not one yet and I'll never become one if I end up getting killed._

Suddenly, Orion understood his father's reluctance and vowed to think before acting. He just hoped that he would be able to convince his friends to do the same.

Orion bid farewell to his father and uncle and retreated to the compartment Neville had picked out. It was amazing how one realization could change everything. A short time ago he had been excited to return to Hogwarts and his friends. Now, all he saw was the danger that awaited them all. It made him wonder why more students weren't pulled out of school.

In no time, the platform was packed with people. Hermione was among the first to arrive, rushing into the compartment with an expectant look on her face. Unfortunately, Orion couldn't settle her curiosity. He didn't want to repeat himself over and over again. Hayden arrived shortly after her with an annoyed look on his face as he pulled off layer after layer of clothing that his mother had forced him to put on. Neville and Hermione gave Hayden sympathetic smiles and words of comfort. Orion could only look on in confusion. His father and uncle had done the same but he had never complained about it or heard complaints from his friends. Perhaps it was something that was reserved for mothers only.

As expected, the Weasley family arrived only minutes before the train was scheduled to leave looking rather tan and freckly. Any thought of questioning Ron on his trip ended though when Ron entered the compartment complaining about his sister. Apparently, Mrs. Weasley had wanted to arrive early to prevent what happened in September from happening again only for them to be delayed because of Ginny who had left something behind.

"She's a bloody menace!" Ron ranted. "She wrote in the blasted thing the entire time we were in Egypt! Mum had to threaten to throw it into the fire for her to actually leave it behind while we took the tours that Bill arranged for us. I swear; just how much can one girl write about?"

Everyone's gaze slowly shifted to Hermione as if she held all of the answers in the world. "What?" Hermione asked indignantly. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I know everything Ginny could be feeling but I'd wager she's feeling slightly overwhelmed at the moment. I don't know about any of you, but I've never seen Ginny with anyone. She's always been alone."

Orion frowned in thought. He had to admit that he hadn't seen much of Ginny Weasley after her sorting. She always just seemed to become one among the masses. The thought made Orion wonder if the same would happen to Rose when she came to Hogwarts in September. Would she be just another first year, all alone to find her way around Hogwarts? Not everyone was lucky to be sorted into the same house as those they sat on the train with.

_No. I won't let that happen. Hayden and I won't be like Ron. We'll look out for Rose._

Ron let out a snort. "Come off it, Hermione," he said in disbelief. "If it was that bad don't you think Ginny would say something?"

"Would you?" Orion countered. "Think about it, Ron. There's a lot we don't tell our families because we're afraid what they'll think of us. Sometimes, talking to family is the hardest thing to do."

Ron fell silent. No one could really counter Orion's statement since they all knew what Orion was referring to. Despite everything, Orion still couldn't bring himself to tell his father and uncle about the voice he had heard at Hogwarts. Sirius was already being pulled in every direction from various departments at the Ministry. The last thing Sirius needed was to know that his only son was possibly mad.

The train ride seemed longer than normal but Orion figured it was because they worked on school work the entire time. Ron and Neville had barely started half of their assignments while Hayden had given up on his potions essay after attempting to write it for the third time. When the train finally arrived at Hogsmeade, Orion was relieved to see the books locked up in everyone's trunks. If he ever saw another book it would be too soon.

As they exited the train, Orion kept an eye out for any sight of Ginny but it was difficult to find anyone in the mass of students hurrying towards the horseless carriages. A sudden thought hit him. What if there was a student helping Voldemort? Who would suspect someone among the masses when everyone was so busy with classes, schoolwork, responsibilities and friends?

There was no sight of Ginny until the masses settled down in the Great Hall. Orion quickly noticed that she was sitting among a group of first years but made no effort to engage in any conversation. It was almost like she was just sitting by them because she needed a place to sit. That wasn't normal behavior, especially for a Weasley.

As much as Orion hated to admit it, something was wrong with Ginny Weasley.

* * *

For the next few days, Orion tried to keep an eye on Ginny but it was difficult with classes and the never-ending schoolwork that was suddenly thrown at them. It was almost like the it had been decided that the only way to keep the students safe was to keep them so busy so they had no opportunity to do anything but schoolwork. On top of it all, Orion had been approached again by Oliver about being a part of the Quidditch team. Apparently, the idea of having a 'spare Seeker' was too good to pass up.

So, against his better judgment, Orion found himself sending a letter with Hedwig requesting that his broom be sent to Hogwarts. It wasn't anything spectacular like Hayden's Nimbus 2000 but it had been good enough when Orion had learned how to fly from Charlie Weasley and Viktor Krum during his month-long stay in Bulgaria with Remus while Sirius worked with the local Ministry to search a rumored Death Eater estate. Viktor was a lot like him, a natural flyer who seemed to act more on instinct than instruction which was why they got along so well.

Viktor, unfortunately, was another one of the many friends that Orion had lost touch with over the years. Being three years older than Orion became difficult for them to find common ground, especially when Viktor began his schooling at Durmstrang, a school rumored for its association with the Dark Wizard Grindelwald and the Dark Arts.

A loud thud quickly pulled Orion out of his thoughts to see Hayden and Ron dropping piles of books on the table they had gathered from the library to help with their potions essay. From the looks on their faces, Orion could tell that there was something that they wanted to say but didn't want anyone to overhear.

Hermione noticed the same thing. "What did you two do?" she asked skeptically.

Hayden looked offended while Ron glared at Hermione. "We didn't do anything!" Ron retorted angrily as he grabbed a partially wet, shabby looking black book off the top of Hayden's pile and threw it down in front of Hermione. "We found that in Myrtle's bathroom. Someone tried to get rid of it and threw it into Myrtle's toilet—through Myrtle's head!"

Hermione frowned as Orion and Neville leaned closer for a glimpse. It looked like an old diary with a faded year on the cover revealing that it was fifty years only. Slowly, Hermione opened the diary to reveal the name "T.M. Riddle" written in smudged ink.

"Don't you get it?" Ron continued eagerly. "T.M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago! There's a shield in the trophy room. I had to polish it about fifty times because I burped slugs all over it. He could've been the one to stop the attacks fifty years ago!"

Orion couldn't tear his eyes away from the diary as Hermione flipped through the blank pages. As far as he knew, there was only one T.M. Riddle and there was no way he'd trust anything he left behind. _Or was it planted?_ It was highly suspicious that something of Voldemort's would be found in Hogwarts when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened for the first time in fifty years yet alone the bathroom by the first attack.

"Why would someone flush a blank diary away?" Neville asked curiously.

"Well, he was obviously a Muggle-born," Hermione said as she turned to the back cover of the book and saw the printed name of a variety store on Vauxhall Road, London.

"Or he was raised in the Muggle world," Orion countered, snatching the diary out of Hermione's hands. "I think we should turn this into Professor Dumbledore. It could be dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Ron asked incredulously. "Orion, there's nothing written in it! How could it be dangerous?"

"It might have hidden powers," Hermione offered.

That was exactly what Orion was afraid of. "It doesn't matter," he said firmly. "You don't understand." His gaze shifted to Hayden. "T.M. Riddle. _Tom Marvolo_ Riddle."

Hayden stared at Orion for a long moment before his eyes widened in alarm. "Oh," he said quietly. "But it's just a diary, Ori. A _blank_ diary."

Hermione pulled her wand out of her bag. "We'll see about that," she said and tapped the diary three times. "_Aparecium_!" Nothing happened. Hermione frowned in thought for a moment before reaching into her bag and pulling out what appeared to be a bright red eraser. "It's a Revealer, I got it in Diagon Alley," she said when Hayden stared at Hermione in confusion the rubbed hard on the second page. Once again, nothing happened.

"What's so bad about Tom Marvolo Riddle?" Neville asked curiously.

Hayden was the one who answered. "That was Voldemort's name before he became Voldemort," he said and took the diary from Orion, ignoring the horrified looks from Neville and Ron. "Look, I'll lock it in my trunk for now but I think we should check a few more things before handing it into Dumbledore. It's possible that everything about the Chamber is written in here. We just can't see it—yet."

Orion didn't like the sound of that. "All the more reason we should hand it in," he urged. "Hayden, this isn't some little mystery that we can try to solve. This is affecting the entire school!"

"I know that!" Hayden shot back. "I just think we need to be certain that it's anything of importance. Think of how disappointed Dumbledore would be if it was a false alarm."

Orion seriously doubted that Hayden was actually thinking of Professor Dumbledore's disappointment. The truth was that Hayden was just too curious to let the adults handle everything, not that Orion could blame him. There weren't many trustworthy adults in Hayden's life. His parents had more secrets than the Ministry of Magic and none of the teachers (including Professor Dumbledore) had ever offered to talk to him except for when he was in trouble or his life was on the line.

As much as Orion hated it, a compromise was the only way Hayden, Ron and Hermione would consider handing the diary in. They had two weeks to unlock the mysteries before handing it into Professor Dumbledore. That forced Hayden, Ron and Hermione to hurry off to the library to look up everything they could to reveal the secrets of Voldemort's diary. Orion just couldn't believe their behavior. After last year, you would think that they would be more cautious when Voldemort was concerned.

As the days wore on, the mood inside the castle greatly improved due to the lack of attacks. The Mandrakes were becoming moody and secretive, meaning that they were fast leaving childhood. There were only a few more stages they will be cut up and stewed. The only downside of the lack of attacks was Lockhart's attitude. He could be heard boasting at every available moment that he had made the attacks stop.

As the two week time period came to an end, Orion wasn't surprised to hear Hayden and Ron plead for an extension. Hermione had thankfully given up after the tenth attempt to unlock the diary claiming that nothing good would be that well hidden. Unfortunately, Hayden and Ron weren't so easily convinced and the lack of attacks only enforced their beliefs that there was no rush to hand the diary in.

Orion seriously wanted to bang his head into a wall. A false sense of security was the ideal way to catch someone by surprise. They needed to be on their guard now more than ever. Hayden and Ron refused to realize that and Orion was tired of trying to be the 'adult' of the group. How could Hayden be so careless with something that belonged to a dangerous Dark Lord?

Surprisingly, it didn't take much for Hayden to give in and promise to take the diary to Professor Dumbledore. All Orion had to do was mention Hayden's brother and Hayden was eager to do just about anything. It was a cheap move but sometimes the cheap moves were the most effective. Hayden's feelings towards Harry were really the only thing that could overpower his stubbornness.

Life at Hogwarts was amazingly quiet…until breakfast arrived on February fourteenth. Orion had never thought about Valentine's Day before, especially since he lived with two bachelors. Lockhart, however, seemed to think that the holiday was the greatest thing since the invention of the wand. The walls were completely covered with large, gaudy pink flowers but that wasn't as bad as the heart-shaped confetti that was slowly falling from the pale blue ceiling.

One glance a Lockhart dressed in vivid pink robes was enough for Orion to know just who was behind the tacky decorations.

"What's going on?" Hayden asked as he and Ron joined Orion and Neville at the Gryffindor table. "It looks like Mum and Rose went crazy in here."

Neville and Orion stared incredulously at Hayden. "Please tell me your mum and sister don't decorate like this," Neville pleaded.

Hayden shrugged. "Well, not really but they love to decorate for every holiday," he said with a smile. "It drives Dad mad. He still doesn't really understand all of the muggle traditions."

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when Hermione sat down beside Orion, looking like she was trying to hide a spout of giggles. It was certainly uncharted territory for Orion, Neville, Hayden and Ron. They had rarely seen Hermione act so—girly.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Hayden asked cautiously.

Lockhart chose that moment to wave for silence. None of the teachers around him looked to be enjoying the morning in the slightest. Professor McGonagall looked like she was chewing on her cheek to refrain from speaking while Professor Snape had the same look on his face as he had when Gryffindor had won the house cup last year. At that moment, Orion was extremely grateful that he wasn't Lockhart.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all—and it doesn't end here!"

Lockhart clapped his hands, signaling the dozen surly-looking dwarfs wearing golden wings and carrying harps to enter the Great Hall. Orion buried his face in his hands. Could this day get any worse? It wasn't bad enough that Lockhart's own classes were a complete farce. Now they had to waste an entire day of lessons because Lockhart felt the need to prove that he was the most loved wizard around.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" Lockhart announced with beaming smile. "They will be roaming around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

Orion snorted. "I'll ask Professor Snape if Lockhart does first," he muttered to Neville who covered his mouth to hide a laugh. Professor Flitwick looked mortified while Professor Snape looked murderous. It definitely wasn't a good idea to follow Lockhart's advice.

"Please, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six," Ron moaned as they gathered some toast and left for their first lesson. Hermione's lack of answer was all they needed causing the four boys to groan.

As Orion had feared, the day had been a complete waste of time. All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver valentines. Most of the teachers took out their frustrations in the only way possible: they assigned extra homework. Through it all, though, Orion had to admit that he was relieved that none of the valentines had been for any of them. Of course, it wasn't meant to last. As they were walking upstairs Charms, Orion and Neville overheard the final bit of a singing valentine meant for Hayden.

"_I wish he was mine,_

_He's really divine,_

_The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.__"_

Orion and Neville pushed through the crowd to see a dwarf sitting on Hayden's ankles and the contents of Hayden's bag all over the floor, drenched in ink. Ignoring the laughter, Orion stepped forward and tried to help pick everything up. Neville, Ron and Hermione hurriedly joined in on the effort, crowding around Hayden as if to try and shield him from the attention.

"Off you go, off you go," Percy Weasley said sternly, "the bell rang five minutes ago, off to class now! And you, Malfoy—"

Orion looked up, shocked to see Draco stop and snatch up a familiar looking black leather book. _No, it couldn't be. Hayden wouldn't—_

"Give that back," Hayden said quietly.

"Wonder what Potter's written in this?" Draco said as he slowly opened it. All laughter had died as the onlookers who were none other than Gryffindor first years looked on in rapt attention.

"Hand it over, Malfoy," Percy said sternly.

"When I've had a look," Draco said as he smirked at Hayden.

Orion was on his feet in a flash. Draco didn't even have time to blink before Orion had snatched the diary from him. "I think you would know better than that, Draco," Orion said coolly. "Perhaps you would like the school to know about that little incident involving an iced lolly and a—"

"All right!" Draco interrupted. "You made your point, Black." Draco turned to leave as the first years started to enter a nearby classroom. He smirked as his eyes fell on Ginny. "I don't think Potter liked your valentine much!" he said loudly as she passed him.

Ginny covered her face with her hands and bolted into the class. Ron looked like he was ready to attack and had to be held back by Hayden and Neville. When the crowd had finally gone, Orion spun on his feet and glared at Hayden who looked extremely nervous. _Good._ Orion threw the diary at Hayden's chest with as much force as he could muster then moved closer so they were nearly nose to nose.

"You lied to me," Orion said through his teeth. "You looked at me in the eyes and lied."

Hayden flinched but remained silent.

Without another word, Orion turned and walked to Charms alone. He was through having faith in others. If he wanted things to be done right, he would have to do them himself.


	11. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Chapter 11

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

It was like the past year had never happened. Orion was keeping his distance from Hayden with Neville at his side while Ron remained by Hayden. The only difference was that Hermione seemed to shift between them, never speaking of what happened. She seemed torn between which side to agree with. Yes, Hayden had been wrong to lie but there was nothing suspicious about Riddle's diary—so far.

Realistically, Orion thought Hermione's reasoning was rather weak. She was just as curious as Hayden about the diary which drove Orion mad. Why couldn't they see that it didn't matter that the 'looked' innocent? Nothing even remotely connected to Voldemort could ever be innocent. In fact, it was the innocent looking items that were more often than not the most dangerous.

Quidditch practice was extremely uncomfortable. No one on the team knew what had happened between the two second years, just that they weren't talking to each other anymore. Orion spent the hours searching for the Snitch on the opposite side of the pitch as Hayden. Sometimes he managed to catch the Snitch and others he watched as Hayden caught it. Orion never made an effort to do anything that would put them in the vicinity to have a conversation.

As the Easter holidays arrived, the second years were assigned the task to choose their additional subjects for the third year. There were five choices: Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, and Muggle Studies. Orion immediately crossed off Divination as a possibility which, in his opinion, was a load of hogwash. Foretelling the future was guesswork at best. Muggle Studies could be interesting except for the fact that it was easier to learn about Muggles while being among them rather than in a classroom.

Care of Magical Creatures was certainly a popular choice since magical creatures played a large role in the magical world. The final two options, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, were the more difficult options. Arithmancy was a lot of number crunching and Ancient Runes studied the ancient alphabet. For Orion, it was between Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Students normally chose two classes but there had been some who had been able to handle more than that.

Other students didn't find the task as straightforward as Orion. Neville had pleaded for help from his parents but they had insisted that Neville had to choose what _he_ wanted to take. Hayden picked the same subjects as Ron while Hermione surprised everyone by signing up for everything. Personally, Orion thought that Hermione was out of her mind especially considering that she signed up for Muggle Studies even though she was Muggle-born but it was Hermione's choice (or mistake) to make.

Just like hiding the diary had been Hayden's.

As the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff drew near, Oliver insisted on team practices every night after dinner. Orion had to fight the urge to quit the team even though he wasn't officially on it. There was barely enough time to finish all of the homework assigned leaving absolutely no time for Orion to gain ground on the fifth year books Remus had picked out for him.

Hayden, on the other hand, wasn't faring as well. It was common to see him still working on his homework when the majority of the Gryffindors had retired for the night. Hermione and Ron had tried to help in their own ways but they ended up arguing with each other more often than not since Ron's idea of helping was to just let Hayden copy off his completed work. Orion and Neville wisely kept their distance from Hermione for at least a few hours when that happened. Neither of them had any desire to be on the wrong end of Hermione's wand when she was in one of her moods.

Everything seemed to be slowly escalating as the Quidditch game approached. It didn't matter that the training sessions were getting better, the weather was improving or that the amount of homework had finally began to decrease. It had come to the point that Orion didn't care how Gryffindor played as long as the practices finally came to an end.

As had become a pattern, Orion and Hayden slowly returned to the Gryffindor Tower the evening before the match in silence, ignoring the excited chatter of the rest of the Gryffindor team. It all came to a screeching silence, though, when they entered the Gryffindor Tower and came face to face with a frantic looking Neville.

"Orion, Hayden," Neville said urgently. "I don't know who did it but—"

"—what happened?" Orion interrupted urgently.

Neville focused solely on Orion and forced himself to calm down ever so slightly. "Someone ransacked our room," he said worriedly.

Hayden ran up the stairs, taking two or three at a time with Orion and Neville on his heels. Stepping inside, Orion quickly noticed that Neville hadn't exaggerated. The room did look completely ransacked. The contents of Hayden's trunk had been thrown everywhere. The majority of the damage centered on the area around Hayden's four-poster and bedside cabinet except that Orion's bedside cabinet had been opened.

As Hayden began searching through his damaged belongings, the sound of hurried footsteps forced Orion to turn around to see Ron, Dean and Seamus hurry into the dorm room, their mouths hung open in shock. It was extremely difficult for Orion to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. There was only one reason Hayden would be singled out like this.

Dean swore loudly. "What happened, Hayden?" he asked.

"I wish I knew," Hayden said as Ron started examining Hayden's robes.

"Someone was looking for something," Neville said nervously. "Are you missing anything?"

Hayden cast Ron a long look causing Ron to gasp in alarm. Orion knew what that look meant. Riddle's diary was gone. That meant that the diary wasn't as harmless as Hayden insisted. That also meant that he previous owner had been a fellow Gryffindor.

"What are we going to do?" Ron hissed anxiously. "If anyone finds out—"

"—I think it's a little late for that," Hayden shot back before turning to face Orion. "Ori, we need to talk."

Orion bit back the urge to snort. "Finally realize that you're in over your head?" he asked coolly. Hayden and Ron shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "You know, I'm getting tired of being the only one who uses his brain."

Hayden bit his lower lip nervously before grabbing Orion from the arm and pulling him away from everyone else. "You're right, Ori," he said quietly. "We were gits. We should have known better than to think that anything belonging to Voldemort could help. He even tried to convince me that Hagrid was behind the attacks fifty years ago."

Orion stared at Hayden dumbfounded. Had he just heard what he thought he heard? "What?" he asked in confusion.

Hayden rubbed his hands together nervously. "Er—I wrote in the diary one night and—well—it wrote back," he said avoiding Orion's stare. "Riddle showed me how he framed Hagrid—"

"—what do you mean 'showed you'?" Orion interrupted impatiently.

Hayden looked even more like a small child who got caught stealing biscuits before dinner. "Well, I was sort of pulled into the diary and saw it happen," he mumbled.

Orion had never wanted to hit someone as much as he wanted to hit Hayden at that moment. How could Hayden have hid something like that? Didn't he realize that something like that wasn't normal behavior for an 'innocent diary'? "Tell me something, Hayden," Orion hissed angrily. "Did your parents ever teach you anything or did they raise you as a Muggle?"

Hayden flinched as his gaze fell to the floor. "I haven't written in it since—"

"—you should have turned it in!" Orion barked. "Bloody hell, Hayden! Didn't it ever cross your mind that was possibly the reason it was tossed away in the first place? What you're describing—that's serious dark magic!"

Hayden cast a quick glance at the other boys in the room before returning his gaze to Orion. "Look, I'm sorry. When I found out about it we weren't talking. What did you expect me to do? I'm not like you, Orion. I can't just go to the Headmaster of Hogwarts and talk to him about anything."

Orion's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't you dare blame me for this," he growled. "You had countless opportunities to turn it in but you _chose_ not to. Take responsibility for you actions! If there's another attack it'll be because of you!"

Without waiting for Hayden to stumble over a retort, Orion stormed out of the room with Neville chasing after him. Hayden had really gone too far. Why couldn't he just admit that he was wrong? Why didn't he realize that some things were more important than pride and curiosity?

What troubled Orion most, though, was what Hayden had said the diary could actually do. As improbable as it seemed, the diary acted as if it had a life of its own. It reacted to what the writer wrote and even had the capability to physically pull someone in to see events of the past. As far as Orion knew, only a Pensieve could hold and show memories and, if that was true, what did that say about Riddle's diary?

Even though it was going to be difficult, Orion knew he had to pass on what he had learned to his father and uncle. They needed to know that the possible reason why there had been no attacks was that the object behind the attacks had been in someone else's hands. The question now—other than who had taken the diary from Hayden—was if the student involved actually knew who they were dealing with.

For some reason, Orion doubted they did. He had heard from various sources just how charming Voldemort had been when he wanted something. That was what had made Voldemort so dangerous. He made promises or threats that attacked where his target was the most vulnerable.

Passing on the information to Sirius and Remus had gone better than Orion expected. Yes, Sirius had yelled, cursed and ranted about something called Potter arrogance syndrome but at least he hadn't stormed the castle demanding Orion's removal. At least, Sirius wouldn't be doing that until he was granted permission to search through the belongings of every Gryffindor student to find the mysterious diary his son had talked about.

Orion could only imagine how his grandfather would react to that request.

It was nearly dinner time before Hermione caught up to Orion and Neville and assured them that she agreed with Orion. Hayden had been completely out of line to blame Orion. Apparently, Dean and Seamus hadn't wasted any time informing the entire Gryffindor Common Room that something of Hayden's was stolen and Hayden seemed to think that it was Orion's fault. That was probably the worst thing Dean and Seamus could have done to Hayden since the majority of the older years viewed Orion as the younger brother they never had.

The entire Gryffindor Tower was tense as the next day arrived and for once it wasn't because of Quidditch match. Hayden was on the receiving end of many glares when there should have been encouragement. Even Orion was surprised with how many people openly supported him over the-boy-who-lived.

"This is so aggravating," Hermione cried in frustration as she, Orion and Neville sat at the Gryffindor table, eating breakfast. "There has to be something we've missed."

"I don't doubt there is," Orion muttered as he stabbed his eggs with his fork. "Trust me, Hermione, I've checked everything. I even suspected the monster was a Basilisk—"

"—what?" Hermione interrupted abruptly.

Orion shrugged. "It was the only way I could think of to explain Sir Nicholas," he answered. "Hayden shot the idea down, though."

Hermione frowned, deep in thought for a moment before jumping to her feet. "I need to check something out in the library. I'll meet you in the stands." She left before Orion and Neville could even open their mouths to question her.

"What was that about?" Neville asked dumbfounded.

"I wish I knew," Orion said as he rose to his feet. "Come on. We should get moving if we want a decent spot."

Neville hurried to join Orion as they walked past Ron, Hayden and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. As they left the Great Hall and started walking down the marble staircase, a voice filled the air that made Orion's breath stop in his throat.

"Kill this time…let me rip…tear…"

Orion frantically looked around but quickly noticed that once again only he had heard the mysterious voice. This was bad—very bad. Another attack was possibly in process and Hermione was in the library, unaware of the danger.

"Ori?" Neville asked nervously. "Ori, what's wrong?"

"It's the voice," Orion answered quietly as he glanced around at the crowd filing down the staircase to leave the castle for the Quidditch pitch. "I have to find Hermione and warn her."

"I'll go with you!" Neville offered as Orion turned to move against the crowd.

"No!" Orion said sharply, looking over his shoulder at Neville. "Go to the pitch. We'll meet you there." Neville looked like he was ready to protest. "Please Neville. Just go."

Neville hesitated for another moment then reluctantly joined the crowd. Orion didn't waste any time pushing his way through in order to take the quickest path to the library. Once Hermione was safe, Orion knew he had to tell Professor Dumbledore everything—including the voices he had been hearing. It didn't matter if everyone thought he was mad. All that mattered was that no one else was hurt.

"Blood…I smell blood!"

Orion forced himself to run faster. The voice was getting louder and more confident. There wasn't any time to waste. The only thing on his mind was Hermione. He nearly tripped on the stairs twice and nearly lost his footing with every turn he took. Every second seemed to last an eternity allowing questions and doubts to fill Orion's mind. What if he wasn't fast enough? What if Slytherin's monster attacked her? Killed her?

Orion knew he would never forgive himself.

Turning the final corner, Orion nearly ran over Hermione and a fifth-year Ravenclaw Prefect with long, curly hair. He quickly jumped out of the way without a second thought and nearly fell flat on his face in the process.

"Orion!" Hermione cried in alarm. "What are you doing here?!?"

Orion pulled Hermione away from the Prefect. "It's happening again," he hissed quietly. "There's going to be another attack."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You heard the voice again?" she whispered then stared at Orion for a long moment before continuing. "Ori, you're not a Parselmouth, are you?"

Orion's eyes widened fearfully. "H—how did you know?"

Hermione's gaze softened. "It all makes sense," she insisted. "Ori, the monster _is_ a Basilisk. Spiders fear it—remember when we saw those spiders acting strangely? The crow of a rooster is fatal to it—all of Hagrid's roosters have been killed according to Hayden. You're the only one who can hear 'the voice' because you're the only one who can understand it."

Orion had to admit that—when put that way—it couldn't be anything other than a Basilisk? Unfortunately, they had other pressing matters at the moment. "That's great and all but we should really get moving," he said, glancing around nervously.

That snapped Hermione back to the matter at hand. With a small mirror in hand to look around corners, Hermione led the way with the Prefect, who hand introduced herself as Penelope Clearwater, following her. Orion was the lookout for the opposite direction. With his wand at the ready, he was to fire at any sign of movement which would be their only warning to run like there was no tomorrow.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Penelope whispered nervously. "Wouldn't it be better to hide somewhere and wait for someone to find us?"

"Who would that be?" Orion countered not bothering to glance behind him. "Everyone's at the match."

"All right, we're at another corner, Ori," Hermione whispered over her shoulder.

Orion halted and waited for the word from Hermione while keeping his gaze on the empty hallway in front of him. For some reason, the voice had gone silent which made everything feel all the more eerie. It was hard to imagine an oversized snake having the ability to move through the school without a sound but Orion seriously doubted that it was remaining stationary. Basilisks were intense hunters. They never turned down prey unless it was a matter of life and death.

"See anything, Hermione?" Orion whispered.

Silence. Orion felt something stiff hit the back of his legs before two loud _thuds_ filled his ears. Stumbling to maintain his balance, Orion couldn't even think before something hard slammed into his back, sending him flying forward—into the wall across the hallway. Pain beyond pain filled his body for only a moment before darkness consumed him.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the delay. I was on a business trip out of the country. I'll try to update Hayden's Journal soon. 


	12. Puzzling Inconsistancies

Chapter 12

Puzzling Inconsistencies

Pain was constant. Voices filled his ears but they were too muffled to make out. Moving was certainly out of the question since the simple act of breathing seemed to take more energy than what Orion had to spare. Thinking came in spurts but it kept repeating the same questions. 'What happened?'

Slowly, one voice came through the muddled mess followed by others. "I must warn you, this will be a bit of a shock," Professor McGonagall said in a surprisingly gentle voice. "There has been another attack, a triple attack."

There was only a moment of silence before Ron gasped, "Hermione!"

"They were found a short distance away from the library," Professor McGonagall added. "I don't suppose either of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them—"

"Where's Orion?" Neville interrupted. "He went after Hermione—"

"—Mr. Longbottom—"

"—please, Professor!" Hayden insisted. "I know he wasn't Petrified. Something—painful happened to him."

There was a long silence before a sigh was heard. "I am doing this against my better judgment," Professor McGonagall said at last. "Come with me."

Footsteps could be heard but Orion was helpless to do anything but lay still and hope for unconsciousness to claim him. At least then the pain would be gone. That was all that mattered, right? Everything would make sense once the pain was gone…it had to.

Gasps filled the air. "Ori?" There was the sound of hurried footsteps before a shaking hand grasped his. "W—will he b—be okay?"

"Mr. Black will recover, Mr. Longbottom," a strict voice answered for Professor McGonagall. "Now, if I may attend to my patient before his father arrives…"

"Of course, Poppy," Professor McGonagall said. "Longbottom, Potter, Weasley, I will escort you back to the Gryffindor Tower. I need to address the students and I know Mr. Black's father will demand answers the moment he steps in Hogwarts."

That was the last Orion heard before something soothing washed over him causing him to succumb to darkness.

* * *

It is very strange, being caught between consciousness and sleep. One moment, you were aware of your surroundings only to fall into oblivion the next. It was like both ends were taunting him with what he would be missing out on if he chose the other. The world of sleep was peaceful and pain free while the world of awake was full of stress and ache. On the other hand, there was no one else with you while you floated in oblivion. 

_Hermione._

That thought alone was all it took for Orion Black to make his decision to leave his safe haven. How could he have forgotten what had happened just before the pain had overwhelmed him? Opening his eyes, Orion was nearly blinded by the vast whiteness of the Hospital Wing. _Oh, that's not good. _Slowly, Orion turned his head and was surprised to see Evelyn sitting at his bedside with a relieved look on her tired face.

"Hi Orion," Evelyn said softly. "How are you feeling?"

Orion blinked as his sluggish mind processed the question. "'Mione?" he croaked.

Evelyn's gaze fell. "I'm sorry, Orion," she said as she grasped his hand. "Your friend was Petrified. She was found beside the Ravenclaw Prefect, Clearwater, a short distance from you."

Orion's eyes moved back to the ceiling. He could already see Hermione in his mind—stiff, staring at nothing while her face was trapped in the last expression she made before the monster…it was almost too much to comprehend. A sudden thought hit Orion like a ton of bricks. They didn't know—none of them were aware of what Hermione had figured out only moments before she had been attacked.

"Where's Dad?" Orion croaked.

Evelyn stared at Orion in surprise for a moment before answering. "He's on patrol. After your attack, the Minister insisted that a small group of Aurors remain at Hogwarts until the culprit was caught. Your father, Remus and I have been taking shifts sitting at your bedside."

"Why?" Orion couldn't help asking.

Evelyn's gaze shifted to one of incredulity. "Orion, you're a witness," she said slowly. "Whoever is behind the attacks could come after you to silence you. At least, that was what your father told Fudge to have the protective guard ordered. Truthfully, he wanted someone you knew by your side when you woke. Things have changed since you were attacked. Fudge ordered Hagrid to be taken to Azkaban and the Governors demanded for Dumbledore's removal—"

"—Grandad's gone!" Orion cried. "Hagrid's in Azkaban!"

Evelyn quickly rose to her feet and looked over her shoulder towards Madam Pomfrey's office. "Calm down," she insisted. "Your father's doing what he can but his hands are tied until we gain ground on the Chamber of Secrets."

Orion tried to sit up but a sudden wave of dizziness in mid-motion put a quick end to that. "Evelyn, you have to find Dad!" he pleaded. "The monster—it's a Basilisk!"

In a blink of an eye, Evelyn covered Orion's mouth with her hand to silence him. "Orion, listen to me," she said quietly. "You are still recovering from a severe concussion. You need to remain calm and stay in bed. I'll find your father. Just let me arrange for—" The sound of the door opening put an abrupt end to the conversation. Without a word, Orion was pushed down on the bed as Evelyn turned around to face the newcomers. "Identify yourself!" Evelyn ordered.

"Er—Hayden Potter and Neville Longbottom," Hayden said nervously as he stepped around the privacy screen with Neville following suit.

Evelyn relaxed. "All right, this may work," she said thoughtfully. "I need to find Auror Black so I need you two to stay here with Orion until Auror Black, Mr. Lupin or myself return. I'll lock the door behind me but you need to be prepared to disarm and stun if anyone attempts to get in. Can you do that?"

Hayden and Neville glanced at each other uneasily. "Well, we know how to disarm but—"

"—that will have to do," Evelyn interrupted hastily as she turned to Orion and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll find him, Orion. I promise."

Orion could only watch as Evelyn hurried out of the hospital wing and closed the door. A loud _click_ filled the room, signaling that the door was indeed locked. Releasing a sigh, Orion could only close his eyes and hope that Evelyn wasn't too late although the fact that Hayden and Neville entered so easily was certainly a boost of confidence.

"H—how are you, Ori?" Neville asked softly. "We were beginning to wonder if you would ever wake."

Opening his eyes, Orion could only stare at Neville. He was at a loss of what to say, especially when his gaze rested on Hayden Potter. A wave of anger and resentment surged though Orion, forcing him to look away. Deep down, Orion knew that the attack wasn't Hayden's fault but he felt the need to blame someone for what happened and Hayden was the easy target.

"Right," Orion said finally in a disbelieving voice. "Most likely _some people_ just needed someone to blame for their own stupidity."

Hayden flinched and took a cautious step back. "Orion, please," he pleaded. "I know I have no right to ask you for anything but—please—just listen. I _was_ stupid. I should've listened to you but I was too desperate for answers. You don't understand what it's like for me. Half of the school still thinks I'm the heir of Slytherin for some strange reason. If there was something that could have proven my innocence—"

"—nothing of Voldemort's—"

"—I know that now!" Hayden shouted. "I know I messed up! I know I should have listened to you and I know it's my fault that you and Hermione were attacked!" His gaze fell as his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. When I saw—I thought you had died, Orion, and it made me realize what you had been trying to tell me all along. What I want doesn't matter when others can get hurt because of it."

Biting back the urge say something sarcastic, Orion forced himself to remember Hayden's upbringing. Not everyone grew up paging through their father's case files. Hayden didn't really know just how deadly mistakes could sometimes be. The more Orion thought about it, the more he realized that was precisely the problem. Their upbringings were so drastically different. What Orion viewed as common sense, Hayden didn't understand.

_Hayden's not the only one._

"This last attack's affected everyone, Ori, especially because you were involved," Neville said softly. "Some of the purebloods believe that they're in no danger because you weren't Petrified."

Orion stared at Neville incredulously. "That's ridiculous," he said and he meant it. He had never claimed to be a pureblood because he honestly didn't know his blood makeup. For all he knew, his birth mother could have been a Muggle. It had been a topic Orion had avoided for years. He never felt the need to know about the people who gave him up. They hadn't wanted him so why should he want to know anything about them?

"We know," Hayden said softly. "Professor McGonagall told us that your injuries had been more dangerous than being Petrified. Some of the Slytherins refuse to believe that though. They thing that being pureblood means they won't get Petrified."

Orion shook his head stubbornly, ignoring the stabbing headache that was emerging. "That's not what I meant," he insisted. "Dad never said anything about me being a pureblood—"

"—but you were raised as one, Ori," Neville interrupted. "Sometimes presentation is all that matters. Look at Hermione and me. If you compared us on talent, would you ever consider that I was a pureblood and Hermione was a Muggle-born? The only reason everyone knows about Hermione is because she's never hidden where she comes from."

The sound of a door opening put an abrupt end to the conversation. "Mr. Potter! Mr. Longbottom!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed as she approached at a brisk pace. "What are you two doing here?!?" Her face shifted to a look of outrage when she noticed Orion. "Mr. Black! Why didn't someone inform me that you had awoken?!? Where is Miss Smith?!?"

Hayden and Neville shared a nervous glance. "She had to leave," Hayden said cautiously. "We're supposed to stay here until she comes back."

Madam Pomfrey let out a loud annoyed huff as she pulled out her wand and waved it over Orion's head. "She should have informed me the moment Mr. Black had awoken," she ranted. "We've only been waiting three weeks—"

"—THREE WEEKS!" Orion shouted in disbelief, trying to sit up only to be prevented by Madam Pomfrey holding him down. "I've been here for three weeks?!?"

Hayden and Neville took a quick step back while Madam Pomfrey's gaze remained stern. "Mr. Black, please calm down," she insisted. "With all of the injuries you sustained, it's a miracle you even survived. I had to use quite a few reconstructive spells repeatedly to repair your facial structure and don't get me started on the complications with your concussion."

Orion fell silent while staring at Madam Pomfrey in horror. Had it really been that bad? Was that why Hayden had suddenly realized his mistakes? Was that why Professor Dumbledore was removed and Hagrid was taken away? "Was Hermione hurt?" he asked softly.

Madam Pomfrey seemed to deflate as her gaze turned sympathetic. "No, Mr. Black," she said gently. "Only you were physically injured and I assure you that you still look exactly like your father except for your eyes."

A loud _click_ startled everyone. With a flick of her wand, Madam Pomfrey had spelled all of the privacy screens to surround the beds making it difficult to determine which bed Orion was in. The door opened with a creak as Madam Pomfrey hurried away from Orion's bed. Neville and Hayden hadn't moved from their spots but their wands were at the ready just like Evelyn had told them.

The moment a familiar voice hit their ears, however, all of the tension vanished. "Poppy, I hear my son is awake and needs to speak to me," Sirius said briskly.

"Mr. Black, your son is still recovering," Madam Pomfrey scolded. "He needs rest—"

"—he will get it as soon as we are done," Sirius interrupted firmly. "Now, my son, Poppy."

An annoyed huff could be heard only a moment before Orion's privacy screen was magically pulled back. In all honesty, Orion had never seen his father look so exhausted. There was no sign of the good-natured Sirius Black that everyone was familiar with. This was Auror Black who many wished to avoid at all costs, including Neville and Hayden. With one stern glance, both second years bid a quick goodbye to Orion before hurrying out of the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey wasn't so easily frightened but she did give them their privacy—albeit against her better judgment.

"Evie, would you please give us a moment?" Sirius asked briskly.

Evelyn hesitated for only the slightest of moments before nodding and retreating to the door where she stood with her wand clearly visible. At that moment, everything about Sirius changed as he sat down on the edge of the bed and grasped Orion's hands. The stern face had melted to one of relief.

"You have no idea how good it is to see those eyes, kiddo," Sirius said softly. "For I while there, I thought I may have lost you."

Orion had to fight back a cringe. His father was normally so strong. To hear him sound so broken...it was so unlike Sirius Black. "Dad, I'm sorry," Orion said weakly. "I thought I would've had enough time to get Hermione out of the castle."

Sirius let out a slow breath, his gaze never wavering. "Ori, Neville told me everything," he said softly. "Why didn't you tell me you were hearing voices in the walls?" Orion bit his lower lip as he hastily looked away but Sirius continued on. "Orion, you are the most rational and sane twelve-year-old I've ever known. Why would you think that I would even consider you were mad?"

_When you put it that way…_ Orion had no answer. He felt horrible for doubting his father. "Dad, I—I'm sorry," he muttered. "I was just so—so—"

"—scared?" Sirius offered.

Orion nodded. "It's just that I'm already abnormal enough—"

"—because you can…Orion!" Sirius cried in disbelief. "One ability doesn't define who you are! Yes, I'll admit that it was a little unnerving at first—"

"—Dad, you started screaming—"

"—were you any different when you saw Padfoot and Moony for the first time?" Sirius countered causing Orion to wince. Shaking his head, Sirius let out deep breath. "We're getting off topic. Evie said you had something to tell me."

So Orion did and, this time, he left nothing out. He explained his theory behind his belief that the monster was a Basilisk, including the missing link to it all. The only difference between him and everyone else at Hogwarts was that he could speak to snakes. That was why he was the only one who could hear the voice. He was the only one who could understand what was being said.

If Sirius had been pale before Orion had started, he was chalk-white by the time Orion finished. "Are you certain?" asked Sirius and let a resigned sigh when Orion nodded. "All right, let me think…I should talk to McGonagall. We'll need to send everyone home. We have no way to protect ourselves from something like a Basilisk."

"But Dad," Orion interrupted. "How can we find out who's behind this if everyone's sent home?"

Sirius let out a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'll figure something out," he said then rose to his feet. "You just concentrate on your recovery, all right?"

Orion slowly nodded. As much as he didn't like it, Orion knew that there was nothing he could do to help while he was confined to the hospital wing. It didn't matter if he could hear the Basilisk speak if he wasn't able to tell someone or even get to safety before the Basilisk struck?

Changes had been implemented immediately. Sirius had taken Orion's concern to heart. Searches had begun in the dormitories for any items that had any connection to Voldemort while students were in classes, students were escorted by Aurors from class to class, attendance was taken and any student unaccounted for was immediately searched for. Several Slytherins found themselves serving long detentions in the dungeons with Aurors watching their every move.

There were no visitors allowed in the hospital wing so Orion really had no on for company other than Madam Pomfrey, Evelyn and, occasionally, Remus while he worked on all of the assignments he had missed. In no time, Orion became extremely stir-crazy. No one would tell him anything other than that nothing had been found yet. Orion didn't know how to feel about that. If something hadn't been found right away, chances were whoever was involved had hidden any evidence.

A week after awaking, Orion was finally released by Madam Pomfrey only to want to return as soon as he rejoined the student body. Regardless of any stern warnings from Professor McGonagall, everyone wanted to know all of the details. Orion had lost count how many times he had insisted that he hadn't seen anything but most refused to believe him.

With all of the attention, it was extremely difficult for Neville, Hayden and even Ron to attempt to mention anything they had 'overheard' from the Aurors but whatever it had been, Hayden had insisted it was important. Orion wasn't fooled though. He knew that Hayden and Ron were doing what they could in an attempt to make up for not turning Riddle's diary in. The fact of the matter, though, was that Hayden and Ron hadn't been the only ones to mess up. In his anger, Orion had ignored any rational thought concerning the diary until it was too late.

Finally, three days after Orion had been released from the hospital wing, Neville, Hayden and Ron had managed pull Orion into their dorm room and lock the door with three different spells. To say that Orion was impressed was an understatement. He had no idea Neville, Hayden and Ron had even heard of two of the spells.

"I overheard your dad talking to Professor McGonagall," Hayden said as he sat down on his bed. "He said that all of the evidence points so far points to the Chamber of Secrets being on the second floor—"

"—near Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Neville finished. "He mentioned something about inconsistencies."

Orion frowned in thought. What 'inconsistencies' could there be? What had he missed? Whatever it was, it must've been a recent discovery. _Like something associated with my attack._ _Something that finally linked all of the attacks…_

"Did your dad say anything to you, Orion?" asked Ron eagerly.

Orion stared at Ron with a raised eyebrow. "I think my dad prefers I stay out of trouble considering I just got out of the hospital wing," he said dryly. "He won't tell me anything unless it's a matter of life and death." Orion sat down on his bed and ran a hand through his hair. "Has anyone talked to Moaning Myrtle?"

Hayden and Ron stared at Orion in horror. "Are you mad?" Ron blurted out. "Who in their right mind would willingly spend any time with her?"

"Someone who thought she may know who died when the Chamber was opened fifty years ago?" Orion countered.

"Why didn't she say anything then?" Hayden asked in confusion.

Neville snorted. "Probably because we didn't ask," he said dryly.

Deep down, Orion had a feeling that Neville was right. From he had heard about Moaning Myrtle, it wouldn't surprise him that a simple question was all it took.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I finally finished chapter 13. It took me nearly three months to do which was why postings had slowed down. Now it just needs to be edited and the remaing chapters need to be written. Hopefully I'll be able to get some writing done while I'm traveling for work. 


	13. The Chamber of Secrets

Chapter 13

The Chamber of Secrets

It was extremely frustrating to have a theory but to be unable to test it. With the security restrictions, it was impossible for Orion to even attempt to find his father or uncle. He knew it probably wasn't necessary since the area around Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was already under high security but he wasn't willing to take any chances because of assumptions. He had already made too many mistakes this year and knew he had a lot to make up for.

With his focus on the Chamber of Secrets, Orion found it difficult to concentrate on classes. He had actually missed Professor McGonagall's announcement in Transfiguration until the class had erupted in protests. It took a moment for Orion to realize that everyone was upset about exams continuing as scheduled. In all honesty, Orion was surprised that the thought had even crossed everyone's mind. What was the point of being at Hogwarts if their education wouldn't be tested like any other year?

In the end, Orion gave up on waiting to spot his father or uncle and cornered Professor McGonagall to request a meeting. She had hesitated at first forcing Orion to reveal that it was regarding the Chamber of Secrets. There was no choice. Professor McGonagall took Orion, Neville, Hayden and Ron to her office while instructing the Auror on duty to locate Sirius Black as soon as the students had been taken to their next class.

It had taken only a matter of minutes for Sirius, Remus and Evelyn to show up.

Sirius cast a quick glance at the four Gryffindors before focusing completely Professor McGonagall. "You wished to see us, Professor?" he asked briskly.

"Your son asked for you, Auror Black," Professor McGonagall corrected sternly. "He believes he has information about the Chamber of Secrets."

Sirius immediately turned to face Orion. "You've been investigating after I specifically told you—"

"—Dad, we haven't done anything," Orion interrupted quickly. "Have you talked to Moaning Myrtle?"

Sirius stared at Orion suspiciously. "Several times," he said slowly. "She's been extremely uncooperative but that area is currently restricted. You boys haven't gone wandering—"

"Do you know how long she's been a ghost?" Hayden asked quickly.

"For nearly fifty years, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall answered.

Orion frowned in thought. It was odd that Moaning Myrtle became a ghost around the timeframe the Chamber had been opened last time. What if Myrtle had become a ghost when the Chamber had been opened last time? What if the mysterious girl killed because of the monster in the Chamber had been at Hogwarts all along? Orion opened his mouth to ask only to be silenced by the door opening with a loud _bang_.

In a blink of an eye, Orion found himself being pulled behind his father while Neville, Hayden and Ron were covered by Remus and Evelyn. The tension in the air only lasted for a moment before Orion felt his father's grip relax. "Kingsley!" Sirius barked. "What is the meaning of this?"

Peaking around Sirius, Orion noticed the familiar face of Kingsley Shacklebolt, a tall black wizard who had normally been assigned to Sirius' unit. Sirius had always said that Kingsley was one of the few Aurors who didn't buy into 'the Ministry is always right' campaign which was saying a lot. Many Aurors were too focused on their own careers to take a second glance at what was happening around them.

"Sir, we have a student missing," Kingsley's deep voice seemed to echo throughout the room. "Dawlish reported a first year Gryffindor vanished between classes."

Professor McGonagall let out a loud gasp before managing to collect herself. "I'll arrange for lockdown immediately," she said briskly then turned to Sirius. "I trust you will have an Auror stationed at each of the house entrances. Until we can find the missing student—" Professor McGonagall's words died as Professor Sprout rushed into the room looking frantic. "Pomona, what is—"

"Minerva, the heir of Slytherin has struck again," Professor Sprout gasped between heaving breaths. "There's another message. A student has been taken to the Chamber of Secrets!"

Neville, Hayden and Ron stared at Orion in horror. Orion knew the same thing had entered each of their minds. They had been too late. If only they had spoken up sooner. If only Orion had spoken up months ago when he had first suspected the monster was a Basilisk.

Professor McGonagall slowly closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and pointing her wand to her throat. "_Sonorus_," she said before her amplified voice resonated off the walls. "All students are to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately, please. _Quietus._"

"Kingsley, please take the boys back to Gryffindor—"

"—Dad, no!" Orion protested. "You need me! I can help you find the monster!"

Everyone froze and stared at Orion making him quickly realize that perhaps he should have kept his comments to himself. Only Sirius and Remus knew about his—er—ability and that was the way they had wanted to keep it that way.

"Mr. Black!" Professor McGonagall cried incredulously. "What is the meaning of this? Have you been withholding information that would have helped us put an end to this?"

A tense hand gripped Orion's shoulder. "I assure you, Professor McGonagall," Sirius said quickly, "Orion has revealed everything he _knows_. Meet with your staff. Kingsley and Evelyn will take the boys back to the Gryffindor Tower. We'll meet with you shortly to discuss our tactics."

Professor McGonagall looked extremely offended at being ordered like a child but she obeyed nonetheless. Neville, Hayden and Ron, however weren't as willing, especially when they learned that Orion wouldn't be accompanying them. One look from Sirius, though, was all it took for Evelyn and Kingsley to forcibly remove them from the room. Orion could hear Neville, Hayden and Ron protesting until silencing charms were cast.

That was when Orion knew he was in trouble.

"WHAT IN MERLIN'S BEARD ARE YOU THINKING?!" Sirius roared as he grabbed Orion by the arm. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU ALMOST DID?"

"Sirius!" Remus scolded, pulling Orion away and stepping between them. "Now isn't the time for this!"

"What's the matter, Dad?" Orion shot back angrily. "Afraid that my _dark_ ability will taint the family name more than it already is?"

"Orion!" Remus scolded. "That is no way to talk to your father!"

Orion turned away with a scowl on his face. He knew Remus was right…on both accounts. Sirius' main concern had always been Orion's safety, no matter what. Orion was just so frustrated with everything spiraling out of control and couldn't help blame himself for a part of it. If only he had been upfront with his father from the beginning…

Sirius inhaled deeply and slowly let it out as his eyes slowly closed. "All right, we'll discuss this later," he said stiffly.

Remus nodded in approval. "Good," he said then turned to Orion. "Now, Orion, please talk to us."

Orion let out a sigh as he met Remus' gaze. "I—It's just that I can hear the Basilisk," he said nervously. "I could warn you—"

"—absolutely not!" Sirius interrupted. "There's no way I'm putting you in danger—"

"—just hold on, Sirius," Remus interrupted patiently. "Ori has a point and we could use every advantage we can get. Now, have you heard anything today?"

Orion shook his head firmly. "I would have said something, you know that," he insisted.

Remus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Then we have to assume that the missing student was taken by the heir, whoever has been helping the heir—"

"—or went willingly," Sirius finished bitterly.

An uneasy silence fell. It almost seemed impossible to consider but at the present time they needed to consider all possibilities. On the other hand, it _was _possible to believe that a first year could get caught up in something and not know how to get out. There were a lot of first years who felt like they had something to prove and had no one to turn to.

"All right," Remus said breaking the silence. "This is what we'll do; Ori and I will go to the girl's bathroom on the second floor and find out what we can. Sirius, meet with McGonagall and gather who you can trust to meet up with us."

"Remus—"

"—Sirius, we don't have time and Orion's right," Remus insisted. "We can't help anyone if we're caught unaware by the Basilisk."

Grudgingly, Sirius cast a final look at Orion before canceling the silencing charm and leaving. As soon as the door closed, Orion nervously glanced over at Remus only to meet a sympathetic smile before ushering Orion out of the room.

"Do you really think I can help, Moony?" Orion asked curiously.

Remus gave Orion's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Oh, I think so," he said casually. "I also think that if we didn't include you, you'd find a way to be involved anyways. This way, we know what you're doing."

Orion felt his face flush in embarrassment. He had to admit that his uncle knew him too well. The rest of the journey passed in an eerie silence. It was odd to walk through the halls of Hogwarts without anyone else around. There was normally at least a teacher roaming the halls to provide some sort of sound. As they reached Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Orion and Remus shared a look. There certainly was no turning back now.

Remus entered first with his wand at the ready, Orion followed suit. If there was any time to fire first and ask questions later, now was the time.

Moaning Myrtle was sitting on the tank of the end toilet. Her gaze rested on Remus. "Oh, it's you again," she said sulkily. "What do you want this time?"

Orion took the opportunity to step around Remus. "Hello Myrtle," he said politely. "We were wondering how you died."

Remus looked at Orion in surprise but remained silent. Myrtle, however, looked like Christmas had come early.

"Oooh, it was dreadful," she said eagerly. "It happened right in here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then —" Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining. "I died."

"Did you see anything before you died?" Remus asked suspiciously.

Myrtle nodded. "I saw a pair of great, big, yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away…." She looked dreamily at Remus and then at Orion. "And then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was sorry she'd ever laughed at my glasses." She pointed vaguely toward the sink in front of her toilet. "I saw them right about there, actually."

Orion made to hurry towards the sink only to be held back by Remus, who shot him a glance that clearly said 'you're here, don't push it.' Slowly, Remus approached the sink and examined every inch of it. Crouching down, Remus looked at the pipes below then looked up and let out a gasp causing Orion to hurry over and take a look. It was hard to see which explained how it had been missed during all of the searches. Scratched on the side of one of the copper taps was a tiny snake.

"That tap's never worked," Myrtle said brightly.

Orion stared at the tiny snake. Could it be? Was the Chamber of Secrets right here all along? It almost seemed too ridiculous and too ingenious at the same time. Who would ever look in a girl's bathroom for Chamber belonging to a man? Closing his eyes, Orion tried to picture a real snake in his mind. "Open up," he said only the words weren't really said at all. A strange hissing had escaped his lips.

At once, the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. Before Orion could even think, arms wrapped around him and pulled him back as the sink began to move downwards until it was out of sight leaving a large pipe exposed that was wide enough for a man to slide into.

"Well," Remus said with a slight shakiness to his voice. "That's certainly something you don't see every day."

Orion could only grin at his uncle. It was obvious that Remus was doing everything in his power to refrain from showing fear. "So, now we wait for Dad?" Orion asked.

Remus cast Orion a suspicious look. "Yes, we wait and if you're lucky, your father won't insist that you return to the Gryffindor Tower immediately," he said with a hint of warning in his tone.

Thankfully, they didn't have to wait too long before Sirius rushed into the bathroom followed by Evelyn and Kingsley Shacklebolt. It was almost funny seeing the looks on their faces as Remus explained how he and a twelve-year-old boy managed to find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets with the help of a ghost. Of course Orion's roll in the actually opening was somewhat generalized but the main points were all that mattered.

Sirius immediately took over. "Time is of the essence," he said then shifted his gaze to Orion. "Son, I think you better return to Gryffindor Tower—"

"—Sirius," Remus warned quietly. "We may still need him. I highly doubt Slytherin only had one safety precaution."

Sirius scowled as he approached the entrance. No one said a word as Sirius pointed his wand into the large pipe and muttered "_Lumos_." Light filled the pipe while everyone gathered around Sirius to take a look. The pipe looked filthy but did reveal that someone had indeed slid down the pipe due to the lack of filth in one area. A look was shared between the adults in the room which seemed to be a signal. Without a word passing between them, Orion watched as they all pointed their wands into the pipe and said, "_Scourgify_!"

"Let's go," Sirius said in his Auror voice as he sat down and slid his legs into the pipe. "The sooner we can get to the missing student the better."

"May I voice my reservations regarding this, Sirius?" Kingsley asked cautiously. "We don't know what's down there. One of us should go first."

Sirius stared sternly at Kingsley for a long moment before sliding out of sight. Orion moved to follow but was held back by Remus. Evelyn and Kingsley took the opportunity to move forward with their wands pointed at the tunnel. Time seemed to come to a halt as they waited for any sign from Sirius that it was safe.

Finally, a familiar voice brought relief to everyone. "It's okay!" Sirius' voice echoed into the bathroom. "Just watch your landing!"

Kingsley vanished from sight next, followed by Evelyn and then Orion. It was like sliding down an endless dark slide. Orion could only imagine what it would have been like if the pipe hadn't been cleaned first. There were more pipes branching off in all directions but none was nearly as large as the one he was sliding in. As it twisted, turned and sloped downward even more, Orion had to wonder just how far down the Chamber was. He must be underneath the school by now at the very least.

It wasn't long before the pipe leveled out, shooting Orion out of the end with a wet thud. He landed on the damp floor only to be immediately helped to his feet and pulled off to the side as Remus came out of the pipe. They were standing in a dark stone tunnel that was large enough for all of them to stand in.

"Let's get moving," Sirius said, his voice echoing in the black tunnel. "Ori, you stay with me."

Orion didn't have the nerve to protest, quickly joined his father at the front of the line. With his wand at the ready, he followed Sirius into the darkness ahead. As one, they lit their wands for even the slightest chance of precaution against whatever may come their way. No one attempted to speak leaving the only sound that filled their ears being their footsteps slapping loudly on the wet floor.

It wasn't long, however, before the silence was broken by a loud, girlish cry. Everyone turned around with their wands at the ready to see a large mess of golden robes shoot out of the large pipe and land with a loud _slap_ on the floor. The mess of robes let out a groan as three smaller blurs of black shot out of the pipe and hit the golden mess. It only took a fraction of a second for Orion to realize what had happened.

Neville, Hayden and Ron had somehow snuck out of Gryffindor Tower and followed them with Lockhart of all people.

Sirius was far from impressed. "What are you doing here?!" he shouted.

Neville, Hayden and Ron cringed as the mess of gold shifted until the distressed face of Gilderoy Lockhart was revealed. "Don't look at me!" Lockhart cried. "These three threatened me at wand point! They wouldn't listen to reason!"

Sirius enfolded his arms across his chest and stared at Lockhart with unsympathetic eyes. "I'm amazed that someone with your credentials was overpowered by three second year students, Lockhart," he said dryly.

Lockhart flinched. "Well—funny thing that—"

"—He's a fraud!" Hayden interrupted. "He told us that he's just been taking credit for what other people have done! He tried to Obliviate us—"

"—_what_?" Remus growled and stepped forward only to have his path blocked by Sirius.

Sirius immediately shot a glance at Kingsley who nodded before approaching Lockhart, pulling him to his feet and jabbing his wand at Lockhart's throat. "When this is over, you will be taken to the Ministry and brought up on criminal charges," Kingsley said matter-of-factly. "You know the penalties of unauthorized use of Memory Charms."

Lockhart quivered in fear before Kingsley shoved him towards the tunnel. Sirius then shifted his attention on the three Gryffindors. "You three disobeyed orders," Sirius said in his authoritative Auror voice. "You were in your Tower for a reason—"

"—but you don't understand!" Ron protested weakly. "It's my sister who's been taken!"

Orion gasped. Sirius, however, appeared to be unaffected. "I'm aware of who was taken!" Sirius barked back. "The student's identity doesn't matter. We will do our job regardless."

"Sirius," Evelyn interjected quietly. "They are distraught enough—"

Sirius quickly turned his head and glared at Evelyn, silencing her immediately. When his gaze returned to Neville, Hayden and Ron, he looked even more furious than before. "You three will stay here," he said firmly. "We don't have time to monitor you while trying to save a life, battle a Basilisk and face Voldemort."

Ron visibly flinched while Neville shook slightly. Hayden, although, remained firm. "But Orion—"

"—has at least some training," Remus interrupted patiently. "Sirius is right, Hayden. You three and Lockhart will be more of a hindrance than a help. It would be better if you were to wait here for us to return. You can keep an eye on Lockhart for us."

Lockhart looked extremely offended. "I—I beg your pardon!" he stuttered. "You expect me to sit here—"

"—I don't expect anything from you, Lockhart," Sirius growled. "Just be glad I don't erase all your knowledge of personal grooming."

Lockhart stared at Sirius in horror but remained silent. Sirius took that as his cue to grab Orion by the arm and pull him towards the tunnel. Orion quickly noticed that Remus, Evelyn and Kingsley were a little more reluctant leaving three children behind with no adult other than an incompetent wimp who acted more like a child than they did. It wasn't long before those left behind were swallowed by the darkness.

The only sound that filled their ears was the crunching of small animal bones under their feet. Orion tried to ignore the morbid thoughts swimming into his mind. He could only hope that they reached Ginny before she met a similar fate.

As the tunnel turned, Orion felt an arm push him against the wall, signaling for him to stay while Sirius moved forward. Evelyn and Kingsley cautiously followed Sirius' lead. Orion didn't dare breathe, especially when he heard Sirius, Evelyn and Kingsley gasp.

"Bloody hell!" Kingsley said softly. "There's our proof."

Orion took the opportunity to poke his head around the bend and froze at the sight of the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel. At first glance, Orion thought that it was the basilisk until he noticed that it wasn't moving. With as large as it was, the snake would have easily killed them all by now. It had to have been at least twenty feet long.

"Hard to believe that something that size has been roaming the halls and no one's noticed," Sirius grumbled as he moved forward. "You'd think someone would have heard something."

"HEY!"

Everyone turned around at the sound of Hayden's voice echoing in the tunnel. There was no hesitation as Remus and Evelyn took off back to the mouth of the tunnel with Kingsley on their heels. Orion would have followed if the tight grip on his arm wouldn't have been there. Glancing up at his father, Orion noticed the conflicting looks and suddenly realized what was going on. Sirius was battling between his need to protect his son and doing his job. This was why Sirius had wanted Orion to leave. At the moment, Orion was nothing more than a distraction.

"Dad," Orion said nervously, causing Sirius to look at Orion in surprise. "Dad, I'm really—"

"No!" Lockhart's voice echoed in the tunnel. "I will not be treated like this! Say good-bye to your memories!"

Lockhart's voice mixed with Evelyn's, Remus' and Kingsley's making it impossible to know what spell was said by whom but there was no time to think about it. There was a loud explosion as if a small bomb had gone off. Before Orion knew it, he was being pulled towards the snake skin as great chunks of tunnel ceiling thundered to the floor. He slid over the coils of the snake skin and nearly lost his balance before arms wrapped around him and pulled him down, Sirius' body completely covering his own.

When silence filled the tunnel, Orion felt Sirius' hold relax and looked up to see a solid wall of broken rock blocking them off from everyone else. Orion didn't waste a second thought before scrambling to his feet and rushing to the wall. He couldn't bring himself to even think of what had happened to everyone else.

"Sirius! Orion!" Remus' faint, muffled voice called from behind the rock-fall.

"We're all right!" Sirius called out. "Any injuries?"

"Lockhart got the majority of the blast!" Remus answered with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "The boys are fine, a few bumps, nothing major! There's a lot of debris here. It'll take us a while to get through!"

Sirius and Orion shared a look. "Do what you can!" Sirius shouted. "Orion and I will continue on—"

"—Sirius—"

"—we don't have time to wait!" Sirius barked impatiently. "Do your job and I'll do mine!"

Orion fought the urge to take a nervous step back. He had never heard Sirius talk to Remus like that. There was also the small fact that Remus wasn't one of Sirius' Aurors but Orion figured that it wasn't the time to bring that up. Sirius and Remus were brothers in every way but blood. If anyone could put up with Sirius' moods, it was Remus.

There was a brief silence before Remus' voice reached their ears. "Keep your eyes shielded as much as possible…and trust each other."

Sirius muttered something under his breath that sounded strangely like 'mother hen' before setting off past the giant snake skin, leaving Orion to hurry to catch up. With each step, the sound of rocks shifting slowly faded. The tunnel turned and turned again. Orion started to wonder if they had actually missed some hidden door but their lit wands picked up nothing out of the ordinary. Finally, they crept around another bend and saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

Sirius took the lead and checked the snakes for any sort of knob or lever. Finding nothing, Orion took that as his cue to step forward and focus on the eyes of the snakes flickering in the wand light. He swallowed nervously and was relieved to feel a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He wasn't alone. His dad was with him and that seemed to give Orion all of the confidence in the world.

"Open," Orion said in a low, faint hiss.

The grip on his shoulder tightened slightly while the serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight. Orion looked up at Sirius and received a firm nod. It was now or never. Together, Orion and Sirius walked inside.

* * *

A/N: Well, here's my problem child. I kept varying from what I had originally intended but in the end I just went with the flow. I did manage to get Chapter 14 done in a month so yeah me! I'm currently working on updating Hayden's Journal since I'm a few entries behind. Then I will start on the final chapter of Chamber of Secrets.


	14. The Heir of Slytherin

Chapter 14

The Heir of Slytherin

They were standing at the end of a very long and dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling too high to see which cast long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom the seemed to resonate throughout the place. With his wand at the ready, Orion tried to keep his rising anxiety from surfacing. It wouldn't help to panic now with a Basilisk that could be lurking anywhere.

"All right Ori," Sirius said quietly as he slowly moved his wand from right to left. "Let's take this slowly. If you see anything—"

"—I know, Dad," Orion whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

Together, they moved forward between the serpentine columns. Every footstep echoed loudly throughout the chamber, making it difficult to hear anything else. As they reached the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall. It was hard to take in the giant, ancient and monkeyish face with a long, thin beard that fell down to the bottom of the stone robes. As Orion's gaze lowered, his eyes fell upon a figure with flaming-red hair curled up in front of one of the two enormous gray feet belonging to the statue.

It was Ginny.

Orion immediately took a step forward only to be held back by Sirius. "Be aware of your surroundings, Ori," Sirius whispered as he cautiously moved forward. His body constantly shifted slightly with every step along with his gaze. Time seemed to pass in an agonizing slow rate until Sirius knelt down and pressed two fingers against Ginny's neck. "She's alive," Sirius said while shifting her so she was lying on her back allowing Orion to catch a glimpse of tear stains on her face.

Clutched in her arms was Riddle's diary.

"Dad," Orion said quickly. "Get the diary! We need to destroy it!"

Sirius reached for the diary only for a voice to bring him to a halt.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Sirius immediately jumped to his feet with his wand pointing in direction of the voice with Orion following suit. A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching with a cold look on his face. He was rather blurry as if he were slightly out of focus. Orion's gaze shifted to the diary then back to the boy. He really didn't like where his thoughts were taking him.

"Why shouldn't I?" Sirius countered.

Orion stepped forward and grabbed Sirius' arm. "Dad," he whispered. "That's Tom Riddle. The diary is his."

Sirius shot Orion a quick, alarmed glace before returning his gaze to Riddle. "What are you doing to her?" he demanded.

Riddle stared at Sirius with a raised eyebrow. "How could I possibly do anything?" he asked casually. "I am, after all, unarmed—" he raised his hands to articulate the point. "I have done nothing but be there for little Ginny Weasley while everyone else ignored her."

Orion held back a flinch. Riddle had a point. He had noticed that something had been wrong but—like everything else this year—he had remained silent.

"How are you here?" Sirius asked. "You can't possibly be a ghost or a spell creation—"

"—a memory," Riddle interrupted quietly as his gaze shifted to Orion. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years."

Sirius immediately raised his wand. "That's impossible," he said confidently. "A memory can't take a life of its own."

Riddle's eyes narrowed slightly at Sirius but when he responded, his voice never wavered. "I'm not aware of how I came to be, I just know I'm here now."

_And getting clearer by the moment._ Gazing over at Ginny, Orion could only think of one option. He only hoped that he was wrong. "Dad, he has to be an actual piece of Voldemort," Orion whispered, grasping Sirius' arm tightly. "It's the only explanation."

Sirius glanced sharply at Orion. "Orion, how do you know—"

"—Dad, do you honestly think I don't know where you've hidden the Black family books?" Orion asked dryly. "Look at Ginny. She looks really sick."

"Orion?" Riddle asked curiously. "Orion Black?"

Sirius immediately pushed Orion behind him. "How do you know my son?" he demanded.

A smile slowly spread on Riddle's face. "Oh, Ginny told me all about perfect little Orion," he said almost gleefully. "'The boy who can do no wrong' according to Ginny. She doesn't like you too much. She believes you steal the limelight from her 'hero', the-boy-who-lived. I must say that I'm disappointed. I had hoped that he would be the one to come to the rescue."

"I'm sure you did," Sirius said sarcastically. "Let's jump ahead, Riddle. Miss Weasley informed you what happened to your older self and you wanted to know how Hayden managed to defeat you. You used Miss Weasley as bait and gain what you required to leave that diary."

Riddle's lip curled. "And you must be the infamous Sirius Black," he sneered. "Yes, little Ginny's told me all about you. She was rather worried that you would figure out that she was the one behind opening the Chamber of Secrets. She was the one that strangled the school roosters. She was the one who wrote the threatening messages on the walls. She sent the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods, the Squib's cat and your own son."

Sirius tensed as he inhaled deeply. "She only did those things because _you_ possessed her," he growled through his teeth. "Do you honestly think that I don't know anything about dark magic? My family has been obsessed with the dark arts for centuries. I don't know how you did it but I _do_ know what you did."

Riddle slowly raised his right hand to reveal a wand and pointed it at Sirius. "I'm surprised that the Black family turning their backs on their heritage," he sneered. "I seem to remember the pride one Orion Black had towards blood purity at an early age. He was a proud Slytherin—"

"—he was misguided and arrogant!" Sirius interrupted angrily. "He learned the hard way what type of person you were really like when you killed my brother!"

Riddle stared at Sirius with a raised eyebrow. "Is that so?" he said in a bored voice. "Was he a blood traitor like you?"

Orion didn't know what to do. Regardless of how much Sirius had tried to deny it, Orion knew that his Uncle Regulus' death had affected Sirius. The brothers had never been close, especially after Sirius had been sorted into Gryffindor. Sirius had been the 'black sheep' of the family while Regulus was the obedient son, being sorted into Slytherin and becoming a Death Eater. No one actually knew how Regulus died. His body had never been found but the Black Family tapestry clearly stated that Regulus was indeed dead. Back in those days, it was the only way to know for certain whether a loved one was alive or dead when they went missing.

"At least he wasn't a hypocrite," Sirius shot back. "I wonder how many of your followers know you had a muggle father."

It happened before Sirius or Orion could even blink. "_Crucio_!" Riddle shouted.

An arm wrapped around Orion and pulled him to the wet floor. A tense body curled around him and held him in place.

A high pitched laughter filled the air. "I see," Riddle said slowly then flicked his wand causing Sirius to fly backwards and hit one of the pillars hard, leaving Orion unprotected. "A father's love. How…sickening. Tell me, Orion, do you always hide behind Daddy?"

Orion didn't hesitate. He couldn't afford to. Jumping to his feet, Orion pointed his wand at Riddle. This had gone on far enough. Riddle was coming more into focus with each passing moment. He didn't know how to stop what was happening. He just knew it needed to be stopped.

Riddle took a step forward, twirling the wand between his fingers. "Do you really think you can duel _me_, Orion?" he asked in amusement. "The Heir of Slytherin? The controller of Slytherin's beast?"

Orion cast a quick glance over his shoulder at his father who lay unconscious by the pillar he had hit. Whatever he did, he had to make sure that Ginny _and_ Sirius weren't caught in the crossfire. "I think you'll find that I'm full of surprises," Orion growled. "I know what you are, Tom, and it's not some powerful wizard. You're nothing more than a bully who's ashamed of his parents."

In one motion, Riddle had moved forward and grabbed Orion by the throat. "You know _nothing_ about me!" Riddle seethed. "You have no idea how hard I've worked to become the wizard the entire wizarding world fears to this day. Little Ginny told me everything. No one has the courage to speak the name I created for myself. My dreams have been realized. I am the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

Orion gasped for breath as he tried to pull at Riddle's hands. "You're not!" he croaked.

Riddle's gripped faltered slightly as his eyes narrowed. "What?" he growled.

"You're not the greatest sorcerer in the world!" Orion repeated. "You're nothing compared to my Grandad!"

Riddle's gaze turned curious for the briefest of moments. "Is that so?" he asked coolly. "Please, tell me about Orion Black, Sr."

Orion took the opportunity to kick Riddle in the shin as hard as he could. Riddle let out a cry of pain, releasing his hold on Orion to grasp his stinging shin. "He died before I was born," Orion said as he pointed his wand at Riddle. "I was talking about my other Grandad, Albus Dumbledore."

Riddle froze. "Dumbledore's your grandfather?"

Orion stood proud. Riddle didn't need to know that the title was in the honorary sense only. "My granddad is the greatest sorcerer in the world!" he said confidently. "Even everything you've done, you're still afraid of him! Everyone says so!"

Riddle stood up straight, a look of fury on his face. "Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed.

Orion met his gaze with all the courage he could muster. "And yet here I am!" he shot back. "As long as there are people willing to fight for what he believes in, he'll never be gone!"

Riddle moved forward, looking like he was about to attack only to freeze when the sound of music filled the Chamber. Riddle's entire stance changed to one of panic as he whirled around pointed his wand towards the entrance of the Chamber. The music grew louder with each note. Orion could only smile. Even though the music was a little eerie and spine-tingling, Orion knew that help had arrived in the form of the phoenix that normally resided in Professor Dumbledore's office. The appearance of flames at the top of the nearest pillar confirmed it.

A crimson bird the size of a swan with a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons appeared, singing its oddly comforting music to the vaulted ceiling. At a second glance, Orion noticed that Fawkes the phoenix was holding something ragged in its talons. He had to fight back a grin when he noticed Fawkes fly straight at him until Fawkes dropped the ragged thing it was carrying at Orion's feet. It took Orion a few moments to realize that the 'ragged thing' was actually the sorting hat. All he could do was glance at Fawkes, who had landed on his shoulder, in confusion.

Once Fawkes had stopped singing, Riddle seemed to regain his sense. "That's a phoenix," Riddle said softly before his gaze turned suspicious. "You apparently are full of surprises, however,—" his eyes fell to the sorting hat, "—I'm curious how the old school Sorting Hat will be of any help to you."

Orion didn't answer. In all honesty, he was wondering the same thing. What help could a ragged, torn and worn hat be?

Riddle let out a cold laugh. "The old coot is even crazier than I thought!" he said gleefully. "He honestly believes that a songbird and an old hat can help you?"

Orion didn't answer. Professor Dumbledore wasn't at Hogwarts so that meant that Fawkes was acting on his own accord. The question was why did Fawkes think the Sorting Hat would help in a situation like this? What was he missing?

"I thought so," Riddle said with a twisted smile. "Now, Orion, let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against Orion Black and the best weapons Dumbledore can give him." His eyes fell to the Sorting Hat before walking away towards the stone face of Slytherin. With a smirk on his face, Riddle cast one final glance at Orion before opening his mouth to speak, "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

There was a slight hiss to his voice which was the only sign for Orion that Riddle was actually speaking Parseltounge. Orion immediately began to panic. It didn't take much to conclude to what Riddle had activated. Slytherin's gigantic stone mouth was opening to make a huge black hole, a hold big enough for something extremely large to slide out of. And something was stirring inside, slithering up from the depths.

Orion took a frightened step back as his eyes searched his surroundings. Ginny was still unconscious on the ground in front of him and Sirius was still unconscious by the pillar behind him. He couldn't do anything for them now. His first priority was staying alive. Suddenly, Fawkes' comforting pressure vanished as Fawkes took flight, leaving Orion alone to face the king of serpents.

It was hard for Orion to tear his eyes away from the mass that emerged from Slytherin's mouth and hit the stone floor. Orion found himself backing away, his mind frantically searching for any sort of solution. _What would Dad do? What would Grandad do? Someone help me please!_

Riddle's hissing voice broke into his thoughts, "Kill him."

"Stop!" Orion shouted, the slight presence of a hiss was the only indication that he had spoken parseltongue instead of English. "He's not your master!"

Riddle froze, staring at Orion in shock. "You're a parselmouth?" he asked softly. "H—how is that possible?"

Unfortunately for Riddle, Orion wasn't able to answer due to an enormous snake slithering towards him. Slamming his eyes shut, Orion turned to run towards the entrance only to trip over Sirius' feet and fall hard onto the stone floor. A harsh laugh from Riddle echoed off the walls. Orion desperately covered his head, mentally pleading for someone, anyone to help him.

A loud, explosive spitting sound right above him silenced Riddle's laughter. When mad hissing and the sound of something thrashing wildly off the pillars filled his ears, Orion had to fight the urge to open his eyes. A soft grunt of pain, though, forced Orion to forget all common sense. Opening his eyes, Orion was able to see the shadow of an enormous serpent and swan-sized bird flying around its head against the wall.

"NO!" Riddle screamed. "LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS IN FRONT OF YOU! SMELL HIM! KILL HIM!"

Orion didn't waste any time before running out of the Basilisk's path as fast as his legs could carry him. It was then that he was able to see that Fawkes had attacked the Basilisk's eyes, rendering the snake blind. Blood was streaming to the floor from the wounds as the Basilisk continued to thrash in agony.

A blur of movement caught Orion's attention. Turning quickly, Orion could only stare at the sight of his father pulling out a large, gleaming, silver sword with glittering rubies the size of eggs on its handle from the sorting hat. It took Orion a moment to realize what he was actually seeing. It was Godric Gryffindor's sword!

"NO!" Riddle shouted as he raised his wand and pointed it at Sirius. "YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE!"

Orion didn't hesitate and pointed his wand at Riddle. "_Expelliarmus_!" he shouted.

Riddle's wand jumped out of his hand and soared through the air, over the Basilisk's head just as the Basilisk lunged for him. Orion caught the wand and ran, dodging the jaws of the Basilisk only by inches. Moving towards the nearest pillar, Orion's blood froze at the loud screech of pain bounced off the dark walls. Against his better judgment, Orion glanced over his shoulder to see Sirius pulling Gryffindor's now blood-covered sword out of the side of the Basilisk.

"Orion!" Sirius shouted as he moved to strike again. "Go for the diary! It's the only way to stop him!"

Orion quickly turned to see Riddle moving for Ginny's unconscious form. There was no time to waste. "_Impedimenta_!" he shouted while running towards Ginny but Riddle ducked out of the way. "_Stupefy! Locomotor Mortis! Levicorpus!"_

The final spell had caught Riddle. With a flash of light, Riddle found himself hanging upside-down in the air by his ankles. Riddle let out a cry of fury as Orion rushed to Ginny's side and pulled the diary out of her limp hands. He needed to destroy it while Riddle was occupied.

Pointing his wand at the diary, tried every destructive spell he could think of but nothing happened. It was almost like the diary was protected by an invisible shield. This was certainly going to complicate things. How was he supposed to destroy something that couldn't be destroyed?

A loud cry of pain forced Orion to turn and stare in horror as the Basilisk keeled over sideways onto the floor to reveal Sirius stumbling to maintain his balance, dropping the blood covered Gryffindor sword in the process. Sirius' left hand immediately went for his right arm which was covered in blood and had something sticking out of it. At first, Orion thought that Sirius had broken his arm but he quickly realized that it was actually one of the Basilisk's teeth. One of the Basilisk's _poisonous_ teeth!

"Dad!" Orion cried as he jumped to his feet, leaving the diary on the floor.

Sirius sank to his knees. "Ori, destroy…the diary," he ordered, gasping for breath.

Riddle let out a high pitched laugh as he twisted himself in order to watch even if it was upside down. "Oh, this is better than I could have ever hoped for," he said gleefully. "What are you going to do now, Orion? Let your father die from Basilisk poison? Isn't it obvious that my diary is protected? Lord Voldemort wins again!"

Orion's gaze shifted to Riddle, his eyes narrowed in anger. "I don't think so!" he growled then pointed his wand at Sirius. "_Accio_ Gryffindor's sword!"

The sword shuddered slightly before taking flight, straight for Orion.

"NO!" Riddle yelled as he desperately fought against the invisible force holding his ankles up in the air. "NO! STOP!"

A newfound confidence filled Orion. Riddle wouldn't react like that unless the sword could damage the diary. The sword slowly spun in the air allowing Orion to catch it by its handle. Pocketing his and Riddle's wands, Orion held onto the sword in both hands as he raised it up in the air. "You'll never win, Riddle!" Orion said confidently. "I'll make sure of it!"

Not waiting for a reply, Orion slammed the sword downwards, stabbing the diary in the center. There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then he was gone as if he had never been there to begin with.

His task done, Orion dropped the sword and ran to his father's side. Sirius was lying on the floor, clutching his injured arm to his chest. His breathing was labored and his face was extremely pale. Orion had never seen him in such a state before and immediately began to panic. His father had always been so untouchable, unstoppable. This couldn't be happening!

"Dad?" Orion's frightened voice squeaked. "Dad, what should I do?" Sirius slowly reached out with a shaking hand. Orion took the hint, grasped Sirius' hand and held on tight. A patch of scarlet swam past causing Orion to jump but let out a relieved breath when he saw Fawkes land by his father's injured arm. "Fawkes, please help him," Orion begged.

Fawkes let out a sympathetic cry before lowering its beautiful head to the injured spot and blinked. Looking closer, Orion could see tears slowly fall out of Fawkes' eyes. It was well known that Phoenix tears had healing powers and it was also well known that Basilisk venom was deadly. Orion didn't want to think what would have happened if he hadn't summoned Gryffindor's sword. _Dad would be dead._

Orion watched in silence as the wound shrunk with each tear until it vanished completely. Only then did he relax and let his own tears fall. The only thing he could think about was that he nearly lost his father. Arms wrapped around him, pulling him to a dirty and damp chest but Orion didn't care. He quickly wrapped his arms around Sirius and held on tight. No matter what it took, Orion was determined to hold onto his father for as long as he could.

Sniffling came from the end of the Chamber, reminding Orion and Sirius that they weren't alone. Shifting slight, Orion saw Ginny sitting on the cold, wet floor wiping away tears. Sirius motioned for her to join them. Ginny shakily rose to her feet and stumbled towards them.

"I—I'm so sorry!" Ginny cried. "It was—me but I s-swear I d-didn't mean to—R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over."

Sirius raised his hand, silencing her before she could continue. "We can discuss this later, Miss Weasley," he said while shifting Orion slightly so he could pull out his wand. "Thanks Fawkes," he nodded to the Phoenix. "I owe you one." Fawkes let out a pleasant trill before taking flight. "All right, Ori, I need you to get the diary, the Sorting Hat and the sword. We need the evidence."

Orion hesitated but reluctantly obeyed. He wasted no time returning to Sirius' side, pretending not to notice the look of concern that appeared on Sirius' face. At the moment, Orion didn't care. Nearly losing the only parent he had really put his priorities in line. Sirius relieved Orion of Gryffindor's sword which was greatly appreciated. Orion would never outright admit it but the sword was heavy, especially when one was exhausted.

They reached the Chamber entrance to find Fawkes was waiting for them. Ginny was still sniffling and needed Sirius to urge her forward. Orion knew he should say something but nothing came to mind. What do you say to the person who indirectly almost killed you?

They walked down the tunnel in silence with only Ginny's crying and the faint sound of rock shifting their only accompaniment. Fawkes led the way past the snake skin only to come to a halt by the mountain of debris that remained in their path. Judging by the sounds of shifting rock, they were just on the other side of the wall.

"There must have been more damage than I thought," Sirius said quietly then stepped closer. "Moony? Is that you?"

"Sirius?" Remus' muffled voice called out from behind the wall. "Is everyone all right? Did you find Ginny?"

"Mission accomplished," Sirius answered as he looked around for a moment before his gaze landed on Fawkes. "How about a little help?"

Fawkes let out a soft trill before landing on Sirius' shoulder. Sirius quickly adjusted Gryffindor's sword reached out and pulled Orion and Ginny close just before warm, comforting flames rose above them, surrounding them. A moment later, the flames vanished to reveal the dirty but relieved faces of Remus, Evelyn and Kingsley, at least until their eyes rested on the blood covered sword Sirius awkwardly held with his bent arm.

"Sirius," Remus said in shock. "W—what happened?"

Fawkes let out a reassuring trill before taking flight. "We can discuss it later once the children are tended to," Sirius said as he urged Orion and Ginny forward.

Stepping past Remus, Orion could only stare at the sight ahead of him. It looked like the entire tunnel had caved in forcing Remus, Evelyn and Kingsley to physically dig their way through in the shape of a hole that was large enough for an adult to crawl through.

"Orion, you go first," Sirius said as he gave Orion's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "We'll follow you."

Orion nodded before lowering to his knees and entering the hole, clutching the diary and the Sorting Hat to his chest. The tunnel was extremely long, curving back and forth making it difficult for any sort of light from the end to be seen. Orion had to rely on touch which kept him at a slow pace but at least he was moving forward. He could hear Ginny's uneven breathing and even Sirius' grunts from behind, making him feel really claustrophobic. When the small circle of light entered his line of sight though, Orion couldn't help but try to pick up his pace. _Finally._

"Orion?" Ron's voice echoed in the tunnel. "Hayden! Neville! Orion's coming through!"

Hands reached in and pulled Orion out of the tunnel as if he weighed nothing at all. Meeting their anxious faces, Orion suddenly found himself at a loss for words. What he had just experienced had been so unbelievable that you just had to be there.

Ron quickly moved to help the next person out while Hayden and Neville pulled Orion off to the side. "Ginny!" Ron shouted as he pulled her out. "You're alive! Are you all right? What happened?"

"Leave her alone, Ron," Orion interrupted as Sirius crawled out of tunnel. "She's been through enough."

Ron looked like he want to protest but Ginny's sniffling silenced him. Thankfully, the sound of shuffling distracted all of them. Turning, they saw Lockhart sitting on a pile of rocks, softly humming to himself while he picked up a small piece of debris, tossed it in the air and caught it.

"His memory's completely gone," Remus said brushing loose debris off his clothes. "He tried to cast a memory charm and it backfired on him due to a broken wand." His gaze shifted to Ron who flushed in embarrassment "Impaled upon his own sword. Too bad. I had looked forward taking him to the Ministry personally."

Lockhart looked at them with a cheerful smile on his face. "Hello, odd sort of place, isn't it? Do you all live here?"

Neville, Hayden and Ron sighed in exasperation. "No!" Neville shouted. "How many times do we have to tell you?"

"Neville," Remus chided gently. "As difficult as it may be, try to remember that some people can't control how irritating they are."

Lockhart smiled, completely missing that Remus had been talking about him. Shaking his head in annoyance, Sirius moved over to the long dark pipe and looked up however, before Sirius could question the return to Myrtle's bathroom, there was a flash of fire above Sirius' right shoulder only to be replaced by Fawkes.

"Whoa, where did that bird come from?" Ron asked.

"It's Dumbledore's phoenix but what's he doing here?" Hayden asked.

Orion stepped forward. "Helping," he answered simply. "Phoenix's can carry heavy loads. He'll have to make two trips but he should be able to get us up the pipe safely."

Fawkes let out a trill of agreement as his talons gripped Sirius' shoulder. Everyone was quickly separated into two groups. Sirius went up first with Ron holding onto his legs, Ginny holding onto Ron's followed by Evelyn and Neville. Orion watched the first group vanish into the pipe faster than what should be possible.

"So," Hayden said Orion softly, breaking the silence. "Is everything all right? I noticed the sword Sirius had—"

"—he stabbed the Basilisk with it," Orion interrupted. "He saved me and nearly died because of it."

Remus quickly turned and stared at Orion in shock. "What?" he asked in a choked voice.

Orion bit his lower lip nervously. "Well, the Basilisk bit Dad," he said softly. "If Fawkes hadn't been there…I almost lost Dad tonight."

Remus let out a sigh as he wrapped his arms around Orion. "Try not to think about it Ori," he said gently. "Your dad's safe now. That's all that matters."

There was a flash of flames over Remus' left shoulder that quickly vanished to show Fawkes. Those a part of the second group wasted no time lining up. Well, everyone except Lockhart. It took Kingsley a bit to get Lockhart to join them. In all honesty, Orion never thought that Lockhart could be any more useless than he originally was but Orion had been proven wrong. It ended up that Kingsley had to stun Lockhart just to move things along.

Like the first group, they formed a line and grabbed hold of the one in front and waited until Fawkes took flight. An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through Orion's entire body as they flew upward through the pipe. Chilled air was hitting his face, forcing him to close his eyes. It wasn't long before the ride was over and they found themselves hitting the floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom where the first group was waiting for them. As Kingsley dragged Lockhart away from the entrance, the sink that hid the pipe slid back into place, hiding any evidence that the bathroom was anything but a bathroom.

Myrtle's gaze focused on Hayden. "You're alive," she said blankly.

Hayden rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Myrtle," he said dryly as he walked over to the farthest sink and picked up his invisibility cloak.

"Oh, well…I'd just been thinking…if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," Myrtle said with a silver blush appearing on her cheeks.

"That's enough," Sirius interrupted sternly. "Come on now. Professor McGonagall is waiting for us." His gaze shifted to Neville, Hayden and Ron. "I'm sure she will be eager to learn that three of her Gryffindors had been missing." Neville, Hayden and Ron paled slightly as Sirius' gaze shifted to Kingsley. "Leave Lockhart here. We'll inform Madam Pomfrey after the debrief."

Fawkes led the way, glowing gold along the corridor. Sirius' team followed at a brisk pace leaving the four Gryffindors to try to catch up. Even though Orion had gotten permission to join the effort, he couldn't help the nervousness that grew at the thought of what Professor McGonagall would think of a student involved with an Auror investigation. She believed in following the rules and demanded explanations. It was going to be difficult to explain this without revealing the secret the Black family had tried to hide for so long.

In what felt like a matter of moments, they had reached Professor McGonagall's office. Standing tall, like an Auror, Sirius knocked and pushed the door open.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay but real life has kept me away from my computer. I'm still working on Chapter 15 but i figured I better get this out before May was over.


	15. Bridge of Trust

Chapter 15

Bridge of Trust

There was a slight hesitation before Sirius stepped aside and ushered everyone else into the room. As soon as Ginny stepped in, there was a scream as a plump red haired woman rushed over to her and pulled her into a fierce embrace followed by a tall and balding red haired man. Orion quickly took the opportunity to glance around the room. Professor Dumbledore was there, standing by the mantelpiece beside Professor McGonagall. He looked happy while she looked relieved. Also in the room were the Potters and the Longbottoms who also looked relieved as they rushed forward to check on their sons.

As Fawkes swept past Orion's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder, Orion felt an arm wrap around his shoulders and pull him close. He looked up and met his father's gaze with a tired smile. At that moment, Orion could think of anywhere he'd rather be.

"You saved her!" the red haired woman who had to be Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she grabbed Ron and hugged him before moving onto Kingsley, Remus and Evelyn. "You saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that," Professor McGonagall said as she looked sternly at the Gryffindors. "We'd also like to know what three second year students were doing out of Gryffindor Tower at a time like this."

Hayden, Neville and Ron flinched but remained silent.

"Hayden, please," Mrs. Potter urged. "There must have been a reason—"

"—we heard it was Ginny that was taken and wanted to help," Hayden said softly.

"Hayden!" Mr. Potter said in exasperation. "What were you thinking!? There were four Aurors already going to save her!"

"James," Professor Dumbledore said calmly. "I believe we should start at the beginning before scolding choices made. Sirius, if you would…"

Sirius walked over to the desk and laid Gryffindor's sword down on it. Orion followed suit, putting the Sorting Hat and the diary beside the sword. Sirius then opened his mouth and started talking, starting with Orion's theory about Myrtle. For nearly a quarter of an hour, Sirius talked like he had watched what happened instead of experiencing it. Sirius was giving the facts and nothing else although Orion noticed that Sirius omitted exactly why Orion was needed.

"It almost sounds too unbelievable," Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly as he moved forward and picked up Riddle's diary. "I trust that this was how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny. Curious when my sources tell me he is currently hiding in the forests of Albania."

"W—what's that?" Mr. Weasely asked in a stunned voice. "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny?"

"It—it was the diary!" Ginny sobbed. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year—"

"Ginny!" Mr. Weasley scolded. "Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain! Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic!"

"Mr. Weasley," Hayden said softly. "It's not completely Ginny's fault. I only wrote in it once and it felt like it had some sort of power over me."

"Hayden!" Mr. Potter scolded. "You knew about this and didn't turn it in? What were you thinking?"

"Arthur, James," Professor Dumbledore interrupted calmly. "I am certain that Ginny and Hayden regret their actions. We should now focus on the positive. I believe Ginny should go up to the hospital wing right away. This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment however I do hope that, in the future, all of you will seek out help when you are in over your head." He strode over to the door and opened it. "You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She is just finishing the final preparations of the Mandrake juice with Professor Snape. I believe it should be ready in a few days."

Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out with Mr. Weasley followed after shaking Sirius' hand and shakily expressing his gratitude.

"Minerva, if you would inform Madam Pomfrey of Professor Lockhart's 'condition'," Professor Dumbledore continued. "I believe she will have to contact St. Mungo's to see if there is any hope of a cure and please, take Neville and Ron with you. A cup of hot chocolate and a good night's rest will do them both some good."

Professor McGonagall ushered Ron and the Longbottoms out leaving Sirius' team, Orion and the Potters. There was an uncomfortable silence as Professor Dumbledore moved over to Professor McGonagall's desk and sat down. His gaze shifted from Hayden to Orion for only a moment but Orion got a feeling that something big was going through Professor Dumbledore's mind.

"Kingsley, Evelyn, if you would excuse us," Professor Dumbledore said at last.

With a nod of approval from Sirius, Kingsley and Evelyn left, closing the door behind them. Orion didn't know what to think. He wasn't too keen on discussing anything with the Potters in the room. The last thing he needed was them judging him like they had judged his father.

Professor Dumbledore's eyes drifted over to Hayden as he enfolded his long fingers. "Hayden, I can understand you have questions, however, there are a few matters I need to discuss with the Black family," he said with a smile. "I must ask that you and your parents wait outside for a short time."

Hayden opened his mouth to protest only to be silenced by Mr. and Mrs. Potter ushering him out of the room. A wave of nervousness flooded Orion. Had Professor Dumbledore figured it out? Would he demand answers? Would he understand why it had been kept a secret for so long? Would he reject Orion because of something Orion couldn't control?

As soon as the door closed, Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet. "Now, Sirius, I have never criticized your decisions as a parent before," he said seriously. "However, taking Orion to face a Basilisk—"

"—Headmaster," Sirius interrupted briskly, "if I had my way, Orion would have been moved off Hogwarts grounds. Don't think for a moment that I wouldn't do everything in my power to protect _my_ son! Unfortunately, the decision was made for me. Orion was needed for the team to succeed."

Professor Dumbledore stared at Sirius in confusion, a look that was so foreign to Orion. If anyone could have the answers to everything, it would be Professor Dumbledore. "Sirius, I—"

"—would we be having the same conversation if it had been Hayden, Headmaster?" Sirius interrupted sarcastically.

"_Sirius_!" Remus scolded. "That was uncalled for!"

"Was is?" Sirius countered with a raised eyebrow. "Hayden, after all, is the-boy-who-lived—"

"—that has nothing to do with this," Professor Dumbledore interrupted softly. "I know you may not believe me, Sirius, but I do care for my students."

Orion had never seen Professor Dumbledore look so—so—hurt. It was clear that Sirius was in 'defensive mode' but was it really necessary? If he couldn't trust Professor Dumbledore then who could he trust? "Dad," Orion pleaded quietly then waiting until Sirius' gaze met his. "Tell him. We can't keep this a secret forever."

Sirius stared at Orion for a long moment before letting out a long sigh. "Very well," he said then looked at Professor Dumbledore. "The reason why Orion was needed was because he could hear something we couldn't. Orion could hear the Basilisk and therefore warn us if it was coming."

Professor Dumbledore stared at Sirius in disbelief before his eyes shifted to Orion, Remus and back to Sirius. "Orion is a Parselmouth?" he asked in a hushed voice as he slowly sank into his chair. "How long have you known?"

"We found out when Orion was seven," Remus answered. "With the stigma placed on Parselmouths, we felt it was best to keep it to ourselves."

Professor Dumbledore's eyes never left Sirius. "Did you honestly believe that I would think any less of Orion if I knew?" he asked, his voice soundly pained. "Sirius, you know that I am a firm believer that it is the choices that make the person, not the abilities. Do you really have that little faith in me?"

Sirius didn't back down. "I believe it is my right as a parent to shield my son from unnecessary prejudice," he said firmly. "Secrets don't remain secrets here, Dumbledore. What do you think would happen to Orion if the students here found out about his ability?"

Professor Dumbledore let out a sigh. "I suppose I will have to earn your trust, Sirius," he said as he enfolded his long fingers. "I give you my word that this revelation will remain between us for the time being. I only wish I knew what I had done to make you so suspicious of my motives."

Remus stepped forward. "It's nothing you personally did, Dumbledore," he assured. "You know how Fudge and Scrimgeour are. They are ready to incriminate at any sign of darkness. You can imagine how they would react considering who Sirius and Orion are related to."

"You're not mad, are you Grandad?" Orion asked in a pleading voice.

Professor Dumbledore's gaze shifted to Orion, his face immediately changing to one of compassion. "Of course not, Orion," he said gently as he rose to his feet and walked around his desk. "I know you too well to even consider the possibility of you using this ability against someone else." Sinking down on one knee, Professor Dumbledore grasped Orion's hands and held them tightly. "Orion, I want to thank you. It was your loyalty to me in the Chamber that called Fawkes to you. You have never doubted me so it is only fair that I return the favor."

Orion couldn't stop the grin from appearing on his face. Deep down he had always known that, out of anyone, Professor Dumbledore would never hold the ability to speak to snakes against him but it still felt good to hear it. It just reinforced the lesson that had needed to learn this year. No matter what others may think, there was nothing wrong in asking for help, especially when you're in over your head. Being proactive was so much better than having to clean up a disaster.

"Now," Professor Dumbledore continued as he rose to his feet, "I believe Orion could use a good night's rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that relaxes me after a long day." His attention shifted to Sirius. "You, on the other hand, could benefit from look over in the hospital wing before you report to the Ministry."

Sirius moved to protest only to be silenced by Remus. "I believe _all _of us could use a check up," Remus offered calmly. "I trust you will handle the punishments for Hayden, Neville and Ron, Headmaster. After all, they did interfere with an investigation and endangered lives."

Professor Dumbledore hesitated for a moment before nodding. "If that is what you feel is best," he said regretfully. "I believe suggesting the removal of a certain invisibility cloak will help prevent something like this from happening in the future. However," his eyes shifted to Orion, "I think you have certainly earned 200 points for your efforts today as well as an award for special services to the school."

Orion couldn't help thinking that the 'reward' was a little bittersweet. He could already imagine the grueling detentions Neville, Hayden and Ron would be assigned with Filch. _All of us learned how our actions have consequences this year. _Orion could only hope that it was one lesson he wouldn't have to learn the hard way twice.

Before Orion knew it, he was ushered out of Professor Dumbledore's office, past Hayden and the Potters. Out of the corner of his eye, Orion noticed Mr. Potter holding Hayden by the shoulder with a stern look on his face. The entire situation felt extremely bizarre to Orion. He'd never actually spoken to the man but his mental picture of 'Prongs' was nothing like the man standing before him. A part of Orion had to wonder if any part of 'Prongs' existed anymore.

As they moved past the Potters, a soft voice brought them to a halt. "Sirius?" Mr. Potter asked pleadingly. "Sirius, could we talk?"

Sirius slowly looked over at Mr. Potter, his face set and professional. "We have nothing to talk about," he said quietly. "Excuse us."

"Sirius, please," Mrs. Potter pleaded taking a step forward. "It's about the children—"

"—then send me an owl," Sirius interrupted impatiently. "At the moment, I need to take my son to the hospital wing. Good day."

Orion couldn't help noticing the obvious flinch from Mrs. Potter as he was ushered down the stairs. He was torn between confusion and concern. Did Mrs. Potter react that way because she believed Hayden was the reason the visit to the hospital wing was needed or was it something else? Why couldn't everyone just be upfront about everything for once?

Not another word was spoken until they reached the hospital wing with Evelyn and Kingsley following them. In fact, they didn't get the chance to say anything once they entered the hospital wing due to the fact that Madam Pomfrey was already waiting for them. One by one they were ushered to a bed hidden behind a privacy screen and ordered to change out of their sweaty and filthy clothes. Evelyn and Kingsley tried to protest but Madam Pomfrey insisted that a checkup was in order for everyone.

All in all, Orion had lucked out. There had only been a few light bruises that would probably be gone by morning although that hadn't stopped Madam Pomfrey from prescribing a night of rest in the hospital wing. Orion had a feeling that he was receiving an overabundance of care since his father's team refused everything other than what could be corrected at the moment. It was actually quite funny to hear Sirius protest and complain to every poke and prod.

However, all thought of laughter came to an abrupt end when Sirius approached Orion's bed. Orion knew what was coming. That didn't mean he had to like it.

"Feeling better, kiddo?" Sirius asked as he sank into the chair at Orion's bedside.

Orion stared at Sirius in concern. Although Sirius did look better, there was no denying that the man looked beyond exhausted. Tiredly, Orion reached out and waited until Sirius grasped his hand—just like they had down in the Chamber. That was certainly one memory that would never leave him. "Dad, do you have to go?" Orion asked, his voice pleading.

A half smile appeared on Sirius' face as he reached with his free hand to brush some stray fringe out of Orion's eyes. "You know I do, Ori," he answered gently. "I know this year's been difficult. I wasn't the father I should have been but I promise that's going to change. You proved down in the Chamber that you're not a little boy anymore. You proved that you can follow orders and keep a level head in a crisis. Sometimes, that's the most important ability to have."

Orion knew he should be happy that his father was proud of him but all he could think about was the word 'change'. For years, he had hated being treated like a child. Now, however, as it seemed that Sirius was finally going recognize Orion as one of the team, Orion could only wish that he could be that little boy for a while longer.

* * *

With a heavy heart, Orion could only watch as Sirius kissed his forehead, promised he would be back soon and walked out of the hospital wing with Evelyn and Kingsley following their leader. As his eyes began to sting with tears, Orion buried his face in his pillow, wondering why finally getting what he had wanted hurt so much. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even feel the hand gently rubbing his back in a soothing manner.

All Orion could think of was that what had happened that night had changed his life completely.

Just like the previous year, what had happened down in the Chamber was a complete secret so, of course, everyone knew what had happened in some form by lunch the following day. Once again, Orion was the center of all the praise with students cornering him at every turn to find out what had exactly happened in the Chamber of Secrets. When Orion refused to answer, Hayden, Neville and Ron became the next targets…whenever they could be found

Neville, Hayden and Ron had indeed been punished by Professor Dumbledore and their parents. They had a week's detention with Filch and were grounded when they returned home. Hayden had been ordered to hand over his invisibility cloak which would be locked up in the Potter family vault. "He said he intended for me to pull pranks with it, not put my life in danger," Hayden had said. "If dad knew anything about me he'd know I don't pull pranks."

Hagrid had returned the morning after the threat of Slytherin's monster was removed, eager to thank Orion as loudly as possible until Madam Pomfrey ordered him to leave the hospital wing. Orion couldn't help but feel sympathetic. Regardless of how happy Hagrid tried to be, there was no denying the presence of dark shadows under his eyes and the exhaustion in his body. If Hagrid had been in the low security section, Orion couldn't imagine what it was like in the high security section.

To everyone's relief, those who had been petrified were cured a few days later. Hermione was horrified to hear how Orion had been severely injured instead of petrified and had pulled him aside the first moment possible to ask him about his 'ability' in private. Thankfully she understood Orion's desire to keep it a secret, even from his friends.

The rest of the final term was what most of the older years considered normal for Hogwarts…well, almost normal. Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were canceled due to lack of teacher and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor although Hayden insisted the man deserved much worse. Hayden had revealed that it had been Lucius Malfoy who had given Ginny Riddle's diary and had threatened to curse the families of the other Governors if they hadn't agreed to Professor Dumbledore's removal.

Orion couldn't help wondering why Voldemort had given the diary to Lucius Malfoy in the first place. It was obvious that Mr. Malfoy hadn't known what he had in his possession or he would have never given it away. A piece of Voldemort was priceless to those faithful to him. How could Voldemort afford to take such a risk?

Due to the loss in his father's status, Draco Malfoy was no longer targeting Hayden and Neville, something that both boys were relieved about. "I've gotten into enough trouble this year," Hayden had said. "I don't need fighting with a prat to be added to the list." It was odd seeing a resentful and sulky Draco but Orion had to admit that it was about time Draco stopped using his name as if it made him better than everyone else.

Ginny, on the other hand, was back to her normal, happy self. She did have the habit of blushing fiercely and running away every time she saw Hayden or Orion but Ron insisted that was normal. "Ginny's always been strange like that," Ron has said. "Mum always said I'll understand when I'm older."

Sirius was able to clear up the confusion during one of their 'mirror conversations' that now happened at least every few days. Ginny obviously fancied Hayden which wasn't news to Orion. The singing Valentine was a clear indication to that. Her behavior towards Orion, according to Sirius, was most likely based on embarrassment for either saving her life, knowing her inner most thoughts via Tom Riddle, or a combination of the two.

Orion didn't know how to feel about that. In all honesty, he had a problem with someone who didn't like him because he decided to use his brain once in a while. Ginny Weasley was like many of the other 'children' at Hogwarts and in the wizarding world, completely naive to reality.

In what felt like a blink of an eye, school had ended and it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Orion, Neville, Hermione, Hayden and Ron got a compartment to themselves, away from the stares and whispers. Orion had buried himself in _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5_ as soon as the train started with every intention of reading as much as possible. Sirius had informed Orion that there would be some surprises in store for the summer so Orion wanted to be prepared for everything.

They were almost at King's Cross before Hayden spoke up. "Orion, did you hear what my dad wanted to talk to your dad about?" he asked. At Orion's head shake, Hayden continued. "Dad's going to teach me this summer. Mum's not happy about it. She insists that I'm 'only a child' but Dad won't back down. He even asked your dad and Remus what they used when they taught you."

Orion stared at Hayden with a raised eyebrow. A part of him wanted to say it was about time while another part of him wondered why it was happening now. Did Mr. Potter finally realize that it was time for the-boy-who-lived to live up to his name or was there something else going on?

"You mean you'll have to do more homework than what we already have over the summer?" Ron asked in horror.

Hayden shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "It was fun last summer at Black Manor and Rose is looking forward to it."

That caught Orion's attention. "Rose is going to learn too?" he asked cautiously. "She doesn't even have a wand yet."

Hayden simply shrugged his shoulders. "Rose will either learn from Mum and Dad or on her own. That's just who she is. I think that's why Mum and Dad waited so long. They knew Rose would want to learn too and they wanted their 'little girl' to be a kid for as long as possible."

"I'm sure your parents wanted the same for you," Hermione offered.

Hayden let out a snort. "But I'm not a normal kid," he said dryly. "I'm the-boy-who-lived. I have a _destiny_ to fulfill should he come back."

"B—but you're just a child!" Hermione protested. "How could anyone expect a child to face off against You-Know-Who and win?"

Orion, Neville and Hayden just stared at Hermione until she figured out the answer to her own question. Most of the wizarding world idolized Hayden because he had taken care of a problem they were too cowardly to confront. It had happened once and it most likely would happen again. It was harsh but it was the truth.

The mood was still somewhat subdued as the Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped. As a group, they stepped off the train and moved off to the side. Hermione immediately threw her arms around Hayden leaving Orion, Neville and Ron to glance at each other uncomfortably. They weren't expected to do the same, right?

"If you need anything, Hayden, just owl me," Hermione insisted as she pulled away. "I promise I'll help any way I can."

"Same here, mate," Ron said as he stepped forward. "I don't know how much help I could be but—well, you know."

Hayden grinned. "I know and I appreciate it," he said as his gaze shifted to Orion. "Do you think your dad will still let Rose and me come over this summer?"

A half smile formed on Orion's face. "Oh, I think we can work something out," he said with a note of humor in his voice. "Look Hayden, just because most of the people in the magical world are cowards doesn't mean everyone is. You have your parents, my dad, Remus, Neville's parents, the Weasley's, and Professor Dumbledore—"

"—Not to mention some rather devoted friends," Sirius said and he rested his hands on Orion's shoulders. "Listen Hayden, I know training with your father has you thinking the worst but in all honesty this is to prepare you for the future. If Voldemort—" he ignored the flinches that came from Ron and Neville "—were to come back, he would undoubtedly go after his opposition. You're a target just like Orion is a target because he's my son."

"Couldn't we be targets too?" Ron asked nervously.

Sirius smiled a compassionate smile. "Anything's possible. That's why it's wise to concentrate on your studies and learn whatever you can. " Ron's ears turned pink as his quickly looked away while Hermione looked slightly smug. Neville let out a snort of laughter which he quickly hid with a cough. Sirius grinned. "Well, perhaps that will be more difficult for some than others. Now, where's Cedric?"

"Over here!" Cedric announced as he pulled his truck towards them. "Everyone at Black Manor?"

Sirius grinned. "Of course! Mindy and Toby have been working hard on dinner. To be honest I think they've missed you boys." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I really can't imagine why but we shouldn't keep them waiting."

Orion and Neville big goodbye to their friends with promises to write as soon as everything settled down. As they walked towards the gateway to the Muggle world, Orion noticed the Potters rushing towards Hayden and pulling him into fierce embraces. It was then that Orion concluded that Hayden would be fine. Sure, it was scary to think of the possible future that awaited Hayden but one should never underestimate the power of a supportive family. No matter what, the Potters would be there for Hayden.

Just like Sirius and Remus would always be there for Orion.

* * *

And that's it for Chamber of Secrets. Just so you all know, it may be some time before book three begins. I haven't even started it yet and I'm starting classes tomorrow to get my certificate in Web Design. Hopefully I'll get some writing done on the plane to and from Star Wars Weekends in Florida.


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